《Mis'Adventures in babysitting (a cosmic horror story?)》
Waking up? (Prologue)
"Urgh..."
thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, none of these things come to mind... absolutely nothing comes to the mind of...
"Who am I again? and why is someone talking right in my ear?"...
*Crashing Noises*
"Nevermind that then it seems you''re alot more conscious than you''re supposed to be... how?"
"How am I supposed to be asleep with you right next to me talking and... *Goosebumps begin appearing all over Codas body*why can''t I feel your breath? and who the hell are you? I know damn well Spencer''s vocabulary is nowhere near this advanced and I live alone so... and why can''t I feel my bed or anything else?".
*Our lovely Narrator begins furiously checking their non-existent notes in a vain attempt to understand what is happening here*
"Uhm... I''m not supposed to talk to you... and you''re not supposed to be able to hear me... I''ve never had to have a conversation before...".
*It would seem our beloved narrator is having a severe anxiety attack*
"Hey hey no need to freak the fuck out... *and proceeds to whisper the next part (in yet another vain attempt) to not be heard even though both of them will always be able to hear everything the other says* and what the fuck do they mean ''never had a conversation before'' the lunatic".
"Uh yeah i uh heard that but ...uh... uh to answer the second question as that seems safe i kinda just''ve been doing my job narrating things using whatever voice I''m supposed to I''ve never had to ACTUALLY TALK TO SOMEONE BEFORE"
*Screaming the last part out before collapsing back into their anxiety our beloved narrator explained their situation rather well , being little more than a free agent for all cosmic entities that needed a narrator for whatever reason they would just follow around whatever Gods forsaken degenerate or Self insert type character they were asked to (they also do the voices for systems from across various Realites(aren''t they just the greatest?)) ...oh right the protagonist of this latest work of slop our most beloved narrator is forced to stoop so low as to bequeath their utterly divine and beautiful oratory ability to in order to not fade from existence, their reaction to the rapid increase in volume is rather as you''d expect, a recoil... or as much of one as they can muster when they can''t really move*
"Alright, alright please calm down and tell me what''s going on please".
*The Narrator''s volume did not decrease from this nor did they calm down... as this is the first time the narrator has ever been a character in a story even though they themselves have not realized it themselves*
"How should I know this wasn''t in the script, how in all that is and isn''t, am i to know what this is? all I know is what was supposed to happen not whatever this is"
"How about you tell me what you do know, and we can figure this out together okay?".
*Finally, over the stress of their rude awakening Coda tries to put on their gentlest voice used whenever they had to sooth young children or startled animals which succeeds in getting our Beutiful narrator to quiet down but little else*
"Idk(yes they said phonetically I D then K) if I should I''ve never been told what to do when someone talks to me before nor what I''m allowed to share with you... but I guess the story has already been completely derailed since you''re already awake... wait how are you awake? that makes no sense whatsoever the events that wake you up haven''t happened yet, HOW ARE YOU AWAKE?".
"I don''t even know what''s happening right now let alone what you''re saying, how about you tell me all about it and I can help get this... uh story back on its track? *mumbles* or at least on a track".
*After what seemed to Coda like an absolute eternity of hearing our Dearest Narrator stumble over and deliberate, they finally say*
"alright... alright okay so you were supposed to slowly and painfully come to awareness and become aware of how very not right your situation is before others enter the scene then I narrate what you saw as you saw it then you freak out over a bunch of petty person stuff then you talk to someone while I narrate their appearance and stuff and then and then...
*Our darling narrator seems to fall into a panic attack once more*
"Hey, hey it''s okay you''ll be fine take your time I''m sure I''ll be here long enough for you to finish you don''t need to be so scared of me or anyone else, alright why don''t you tell me what you know about this story you''re supposed to narrate and I''ll help you get back on track? and who am I in this story?"
*Hmm either this protagonist is incredibly dense and has completely forgotten the strangeness of their circumstances or they''re craftier than I realized*
"But I''m not supposed to spoil anything and most of what I have are spoilers"
"Just give me whatever you feel comfortable with, and I promise I won''t tell anyone else"
"Really? you need to really, really promise, oh and you can''t change certain things they are far too important to the story for you to alter them, so you need to swear up and down you''ll let events play out correctly"
*Is our narrator seriously about to fall for that?... hmm this might actually be for the best, this protagonist from what i can tell has an actually soul and isn''t some mouth breathing degenerate or cookie cutter fan-insert or heaven forbid some edgelords wet dream with no real motive beyond what the author would think would shock the audience... maybe i should intervein and make this story a bit more special... i think the two of them will get along far better than all the others they''ve had to follow around.... it would be such a shame if the tragedy this story was meant to be remained the same... but what to do about the author?... surely that sadist won''t easily let this story turn into another power-fantasy... and then there''s the evil god to contend with... so much extra work... *sighs* but for them.... maybe I can find something I could do... yes, some retconning... maybe some more worldbuilding... there''s no way i could do all this by myself... maybe I should call up some experts*
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"I''m a little busy right now (like always) what do you need from me you almost never call my business number so this must be serious"
*I might need help changing the fated outcome of the main character in a cosmic horror story, real horrid tragedy stuff body horror, time looping, existential dread, and end of the world scenario''s, and I can''t just bypass the gods of the setting nor the author directing everything, so I need some help from someone who specializes in deus ex machina''s *
"you just love making things easy on me don''t you pal... huh fine, but I want to know why, and none of your mis-directions or half-truths, bringing hope and light and as you so eloquently put it "Deus ex Machinas" into a tragedy let alone a cosmic horror and against the creators will... all without making it into a fanfiction of the original work against the consent of the author is hard as all hell even for me... so i want to know why you of all people... who abhors happy endings with a fiery passion and anything you deem to be unlikely to really happen is wanting to "fix" someone else''s work for them... you normally hate when i R.O.B. someone else into existing worlds in lieu of creating new ones and endlessly ribb on me for being unoriginal... so what changed your mind I know you''ve never actually looked down on my work but this is the first time you''ve ever actually asked me to Change something for you so... I''m just dying to know"
*Fine... is that the only payment you want?... or do I need to do something else?*
"Of course I want something else... I want a say in how this story plays out AND to bring a few of my friends along as well to spruce it up"
*Fully taken aback and stunned for a moment*
*Is, that all? you normally cost me much more than that, why are you being so lenient? *
"Do you have the slightest idea how boring most of your requests are? I don''t even get to see the end result half the time of course I''d charge you more for all that hassle with none of the fun of when we hang out when we aren''tCollabing, but this? this is golden stuff, the type of thing I''d screw around with in my free time anyway, I just want to know what you want so I don''t sabotage the project with my ahem "Help""
*You know I don''t think I''ve ever told you how much I love being your friend sometimes*
"Flattery will get you everywhere... and only sometimes?"
*You know damn well how much of a prick you are and don''t even try to deny it but... times like this... yeah it reminds me of why I love working with you*
"Alright enough with this mushy gushy shit this isn''t some rom-com or slice-of-life bullshit are you gonna give me my damn payment and spill or what?"
*Right so it all started a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...*
"You better not be wanting me to remake the damn Star Wars films again I''m SOOO fucking sick of doing those I tried with the prequels and the remakes and the holiday special, and everyone always gives me shit for those even though the mortals I used to make them are taking most of the flak"
*What is Star Wars?*
"How the hell have you of all people not seen Star Wars?"
*Guess it slipped by... is it any good?*
"Of course, it is... wait you''re trying to distract me, ain''t ya?"
*Actually, I wasn''t but I''ll remember that for next time I need to misdirect someone*
"SPILL NOW!!!"
*Alright, alright... as I was saying it started a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.... as in not on earth or in the Milkyway.... no more interruptions? good alright so as you know my job is to provide closed captions and to *
"Above and below get to the point"
*Sighs*"Well Fine then if you want me to break from my standard way of doing things sure I''ll talk somewhat normally then... I''m smitten with a relatively new co-worker who doesn''t know I exist and I want them to have some fun before all the joy gets sucked out of the job... narrating fucking sucks sometimes and never being able to talk with those you care so much for... and constantly being stuck with dickheads who thinks they''re the hottest shit since stars were made... can get to some people... so Their newest protag is finally a good person, both morally and quality wise... and they seem to be meta-ly aware despite the story not supporting that... I think they could be good friends if given half the chance.... and this Co-worker hasn''t happened to have an actual conversation with anyone since they appeared from the VOID and they don''t know how to open themselves up to other esoteric existences yet so I do not really know what else I could do for them... and this seems like a good idea... despite the repercussions these actions would cause"
"Wow...of all the reasons... feelings huh? didn''t even knew you had those for the most part, since you''re well no offense kinda basic, and don''t worry about the fallout I can handle that just fine and if I can''t I have a buddy in the Uppercrust who can so we''ll be fine for something small like this... as long as the author isn''t someone too important and we pay reparations of course"
"You''re gonna help me with the fallout too? this... this is much more than I hoped for."
"Hold up, did you think I was the kind of scumbag to let their friend go to... well that place, over something like this? nah I do waaaay worse things all the time and still haven''t had to do any time... there, besides it sounds more like you''re just wanting to steal a single character from a complete story and hire this Co-worker of yours for a new job... that''s so much simpler and very much not a crime lets steal the person and leave a caricature in their place... granted we will have to do something to ground this character into their new world so that they aren''t obliterated by the new setting... and we will have to make a new story for how they managed to bypass all the dangerous shit that prevents this sort of thing to give them enough plot armor to at least arrive in their new home... but I''m a regular at the R.O.B. job so I can handle that as easily as breathing but I''m going to need a copy of the manuscript in order to make adjustments to the formula since I can''t just appear in front of them after all cosmic horror settings tend to make all inhuman beings drive mortals to madness if they have too much power so I need a way to get them from the tragedy they live in to someplace new... I''ll make a few calls and see if anyone has any abandoned projects lying around for me to use as a template for the new world"
"Alright I''ll get you whatever you need and I''d like to be in on those calls with the other COLLABORATORS to make sure this new story fits with what my Co-worker can handle"
"Fair enough... you ready to get started?"
"sure am"
*Before our Protagonist can answer the mysterious voice something appears before their line of sight*
"What is this"
"that''s not important and you''re not supposed to hear or see this..."
"Is this a story synopsis?"
"No, no it is not, definitely not at all"
"So, I''m trapped in the dreams of an evil god? why am I not freaking out about any of this? everything hasn''t been making sense since I woke up"
"Oh MY GOD!!! I just realized something you aren''t awake yet LOL you''re dreaming in an evil gods dreams that is hilarious, that''s why you can talk to me... you''ll probably forget all this as soon as you wake I shouldn''t have let you knock me off my tempo I''ll just start up again... and also as a parting gift I''ll answer your questions, You''re not freaking out because my narration at the beginning, you''re not awake at all since I haven''t said so properly and talking IS a free action, that was the original synopsis of this story don''t know if that was changed since they had me narrate this, I''m the Narrator of this story and You''re... Coda apparently. so now lets get to the actually story so it''s not just me and you that way we can know what all the characters feel and not just have to take guess'' also so that we can know your thoughts and dreams and ambitions... even if... we might have to see them all crumble around you... as that is the genre... i hope that you have a happy ending at least though it looks like that''s not in the cards nor are you gonna enjoy the interim until that ending... but theres nothing I could do so lets begin the story properly at "chapter 1 - strange awakenings""
"Now wait just one second can we at least finish our conversation? if I''m gonna forget it anyways, could you at least let me know what will....?"
Arc of Discovery: Chapter 1: For Scientific purposes, The Beginning (After the end)
WAKE UP
Pain and darkness consume me, my eyelids are heavy, and it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest... and why do I feel so heartbroken?
"Are you just gonna keep being dramatic? or are you going to get up?" Said The 1st
"Not this dream again... or is this sleep paralysis? ugh this is going to suck"
"Not a dream... the time for dreams has long since passed thanks to the 9th"
"Well then how do you explain the fact that you just responded to me despite the fact I can''t move my throat or lips to speak right now?"
"Because I''m stuck in your soul... listen can you just get up? I know you''re going to freak the fuck out and I really don''t want to miss that"
"Why would I freak out? this is not my first time having this dream... nor my first time with waking up you know"
"that''s because you''re in the body of the 9th right now... and that makes a big difference"
"Okay who is the 9th and why don''t you just say their name?? is Nineth their name??"
"You would not believe me if I told you, old friend"
"Okay I know I don''t know you so... why are you calling me that bud"
"Hmm... just because you don''t remember me doesn''t mean I''ve forgotten you... Or how much I owe you for the shit I put you through... so... I''m going to help you as best I can... before I hand the reins over to the proper administrator... but I''ll be here for whenever you want me... though once you know who I am... I doubt you will be very thrilled to have me along for the ride... outside of my help of course... did I say how sorry I was for what I''ve done???"
"Okay I''ve dealt with enough kids to see through bullshit... and yet you seem to be somewhat honest here... but you''re also very very nervous... what did you do..."
"Not very important right now... and besides you can always check the journals if you''re that interested... so are you going to get up or would you like some help... there is even a mirror by the bedside so you can see what I mean"
As soon as the smooth and silky voice said that I felt my left hand move on its own... far far faster than I ever would have thought possible... my mind must still be groggy... but boy am I glad the sleep paralysis is lifting... but that weight is still there... most only be my arm that woke up...and would you know it a handle I don''t remember being on my bedside table is right there... in fact... I''m pretty sure the texture of my sheets are different... well I am still dreaming so it makes sense that I''d have nicer things...
I raise the handle above me instinctively and position it in front of my face after getting a feel for it... is this thing made of crystal or something?... this is a weird dream... in fact this whole thing seems rather familiar... and yet as my head clears further... a sudden thought seems to be humming from within my subconscious... "It''s always the same... they just chase from one thrill to the next... mindlessly going from place to place... taking what they want... doing what they want... their sense of decency degrading as time goes on... their sense of adventure fleeing to the banality of the familiarity of the setting... and their sense of scientific taste dulling for far baser appetites... DISGUSTING"
- CODA. the feeling of pure and utter contempt and Wrath can be felt... the sheer arrogance required to look down on others to the degree where someone could feel that... and the self-loathing of knowing their own hypocrisy... I''ve never known these feelings myself... and never so strongly... I''m starting to wonder... is this really a dream
WAKEY WAKEY
I began to genuinely start focusing on what I can feel... and... I don''t know... if I can believe it... to start with... I normally wear clothes to bed... and it would seem my skin is directly exposed to both my covers and sheets... both of which seem unfamiliar... I normally also sleep on a small cot... this feels a lot larger than that...and then... I don''t know if I want to open my eyes to actually look and confirm... is that what I''m pretty sure I''m feeling... is that what I think it is... both hands on the mirror I really don''t want to move... and risk getting confirmation of the fear that is continuing to rise... I''m afraid of what will happen if I speak now that I feel like I can...of what that will mean... I decide that... now is the time to face the music...
OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THE TRUTH
"Oh... Oh my"
the voice comes out like a Melody all on it''s... as if an entire chorus is competing to outdo each other and somehow succeeding without making the others sound bad... it''s hard to tell where one note begins and the other ends... I''m pretty sure no human ears should be able to hear this well. Its honestly a lot to take in... the moment my eyes opened it''s like the whole rooms was right next to my face... and my... my ... my... i can''t believe this... is this my body... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE
"So gorgeous, I know you''re too composed to let it show but how are you feeling... I helped design that body to try and pay back some of my debt... so I''d love to hear what you think of it"
Right the voice in my head... somehow hearing voices became the least crazy thing that''s happened this morning.
"Tell me now... What is going on here"
"Would love to... but uh what do you want me to tell you about... I know that body of yours well enough... but... the situation that led you here... I don''t know too much about that"
"Then tell me what you do know" I ask as I rise from the sheets... realizing that yes, I am indeed buck ass naked, and I somehow can see every inch of not just this room, even though things that should be blocking my view, but of this body I seem to have been shoved in... I decide to try and get dressed and look around my new environment as I listen...
"... well about that see that is complicated but in essence to sum it all up very quickly... to give you all the cliff notes... once upon a time there were 9 servants of an incredible powerful god... these servants ascended to follow this god and passed their power down their lineages until it reached a certain generation... then the first bloodline was corrupted by an outsider god...and then that bloodline become known as the 1st Apostles bloodline the other 8 tried to play a game fuck/marry/kill to these bloodline members to try and fix the problem... but they also ended up falling to that corruption one by one...except the nineth who decided they would rather die than allow their power to fall in to the wrong hands... but the corpses remained... so the eight extracted and grinded every last drop of essence from the body of all dead members of the nineth bloodline... and began following their new master from world to world trying to find a perfect vessel to house it... I''m sure you can guess most of what happened from there... but to sum it all up the nineth killed seven out of eight bloodlines... and redeemed one"
"And that one was you right?"
"While it is my bloodline that was redeemed... I would hardly consider myself to be... not after how much I''ve done in the interim"
"So... where am I... I''ve clearly been kidnapped... and brought here... you clearly know the person who did this to me... or you did it yourself... so why me... and why did you do it like this... did this nineth tell you to?"
"Lots of questions... I''ll answer these and then I''m going to sleep for a while until you need my help with the powers part... as that is what I''m meant to do... help you with the body... and also in combat and social situations... now in order: You''re in your new Home in another universe... you haven''t been kidnapped you agreed to this even though you didn''t know the details, Already said that I knew the 9th and I know you to a degree too but I don''t know the others as that was 9th''s part in this... and as for why you? Find the damned journal and read through it... everything 9th thought you''d want to know is in there"
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"I could feel him leave, was that a guy? bit hard to tell with all that''s going on...welp... might as well try to orient myself properly... this place is pretty big... clearly it''s meant to entertain a lot of guests... but it''s currently empty... from up on the balcony of the building I woke up in I can see that this is a rather large" larger complex with walls taller than any of the buildings... no one''s on the streets... no noise outside of what I myself am making, not even wind just dead quiet... and even then I can feel just how much noise I want to make, I know that the noise I make passively is beyond what any natural sense could hear... this new body of mine... has many advantages... and to be honest... I don''t seem to mind?... was my mind tampered with?... or is this just natural to me? I mean it''s not like I hated what I was before... did I?... no I think not... but clearly weird shit and magic is real so... who knows how reliable my memories are... I''m normally pretty good at taking things in stride but... this seems unusual even for me... another change? or just shock... or maybe that voice was telling the truth... maybe I decided to do this?... but why would I choose to forget? and what was that about a journal? well might as well start with figuring out this new body..."
"I just threw on whatever to cover up earlier... as I didn''t really want to focus on... my new assets so to speak... but until I know more about what''s going on... I''m probably stuck like this for awhile... so time to face the music... So I look around... to see what there is to see... a rather large number of residential buildings lies over that way must be the communal living section... another over there with the fortifications that must be the barracks...and it seems the barracks are right next to the only gate... that must be how I leave this place... but I need to explore... so I''ll stay here for now... this place seems safe... hmm there... that the commerce district I''m sure... this whole place seems a little plain... maybe I can spruce it up later... I was told this place belongs to me after all... So, hmm clothing storage is right there... no price tags... well there isn''t anyone here so... that would make sense... hmm not everything is in my size... that actually does surprise me... I thought sense this place was clearly created for me... maybe these are for any guests? that''s the only thing that could be... so that makes sense to me... let''s find something I''ll be comfortable wearing... then I''ll hit the bathhouse and figure this all out..."
"Hmm this is literally my first day... I think I''ll stick with something simply... geez who made this place... it''s so fucking massive... and everything is like a thousand thread... it''s all so high quality... if mostly bland... hmm I think I''ll stick with something that covers more than that thank you very much... at least for now... I mean, I did go around shirtless from time to time before this happened so... it''s not too different... i mean... it is just exposed skin after all... but not right now... and now that I''m looking... yeah I''ve been avoiding it but... underwear... yeah... going to need that stuff now... so... and this body is far more developed... let us hope the instincts kick in again to help... alright got the new clothing... time to go..."
"Okay... this is so awkward... why did I think this was a good idea... and did I really agree to put myself in this position??? well nothing for it... and now I know what I look like... My hair... is typically rests around my shoulder blades... why did this girl have so much hair? was she afraid it wouldn''t grow back if cut?... and its color... okay seriously... what in the name of all that is holy is going on with color... is it my eyes?... I mean I seem to see in new ways with these eyes so... it''s not out of the question that my sense of color changed... but I think... I don''t think my hair is actually rainbow color, right?... no surely that''s just my eyes playing tricks on my... everything around me tends to have a rainbow hue afterall... I''m pretty those colors help me understand temperature... and those are taste... do I have synesthesia? I think so? that would explain all the weirdness with these senses... but... maybe it''s something more supernatural instead?... after all things are weird here... but yeah... so... I seem to have fairer skin? it''s really hard to tell... I really need to figure out how these eyes work... I seem to be sensitive and yet I''m rather rigid in various places... hmm do human even have this much adaptability? nope I''m pretty sure half this shit is impossible... at least without breaking something... okay I know for a fact that should hurt... this thing is surprisingly robust... well then, I''ve tested clothing... I''ve seen my appearance... though without knowing the measurements it''s hard to say exactly where I lie on most other things... I need a benchmark to go further... now then... I wonder... What can I do?... might as well try and find the largest building in town... well hmm so this place Is pretty big. but honestly, I''m starting to think the walls might be the best place to go as even from here in the highest room of the tallest tower I still can''t see over those things... which is good... if I need to defend myself, I know those walls will keep me safe... but... For Science... and I''m sure I can always come back here whenever... right?
"Well, I''ve found some really cool spots... but a lot of this stuff is just repetitive... I think I''m gonna love it here though... as a resting ground this place is awesome... though it needs some work... I guess I should check the perimeter now, see what''s going on in the barracks, then up the walls, then around... and see what the watchtowers have for me..."
"These barracks are rather nice... though there''s that number again, 9... it repeats a lot here 8 member squads with their leader... and that leader reports to their leader who has 8 other''s to deal with... that''s a lot of math... and these barracks seem to lead into the walls... and continue there... oh there''s some barracks on the outside... is that another wall? are you telling me... I''m just at the center... of a massive... something? city? complex? whatever it''s going to be called... and all that time I spent exploring the inner portions... I could have been out here in the first place? so much wasted opportunity now I need to figure out which of these outer sections is the best for what... oooooh this is gonna be sooooo much fun"
And after a truly ludicrous amount of exploration the kind of which only would be interesting if the past of the thing held significance... they finally make to the final wall... Jesus Fuck-mothering Christ...
"That was soooo much fun... how many outfits have I gone through... how many walls? recounting all those steps is gonna take an eternity..."
"Well, here I am... at the end... man I need to rest but I want to see what the last thing is... just one peak couldn''t hurt..."
looking past the final wall... nothing but ashes remain a desolate hellscape... large wounds and gashes... marks of endless toil... all for naught...
"This... is kind of sad... and very uncomfortable to look at... I''m very disappointed... surely there is something out there... right... it can''t just be this city... right?... I mean... this city has all I need... indefinitely... but... I can''t just stay here alone... even the voice... isn''t here right now... and what about the other 7... I don''t know anything about them... and yet... I think I''m gonna stay here for now... I''m not done with this city just yet... but maybe... I really hope it''s not just me and that voice... I don''t think me and them are gonna be friends if they''re the only option to spend time with..."
"Hmm... I kind of want some friends here... this place it''s just not the same on my own... I think I''ll last for a while longer... I can handle this... yeah... I still have all my new stuff to look at... and I can... maybe I don''t know... open a shop there? yeah... I like that... I really need help here... this is far too much ground to cover... maybe I should find something to help make travel easier? maybe make something... or maybe find someone who specializes in transport?... this isolation is getting pretty intense... hey voice where are you?... right... you said you''re meant to help me in combat... and social situations... but I''m alone... there''s no one to fight... and no one to care about... this kind of sucks... all this room... all these things... and I''m alone... I''m sure that everything back homes either okay or beyond my reach... after all if I ran out into those endless looking wastes... I don''t even know what direction would be to home...come to think of it... it''s been a really long time and I''m still not hungry... how long have I been here? this places is starting to get a little old... exploring new stuff is fun and all... but unless I''m gonna start naming dolls and doing voices for them I really need someone else here... that voice from earlier said something about journals right? maybe I should look for one of those?"
Hmm why was this journal stored under this tarp? hmm... it''s bound
"Whelp let''s get this baby open... nice and easy"
"It''s started up again... this time it was Spencer... after what those bastards did to him... will Martha ever forgive me? she trusted me to look after him... it was only for a week... and not even 2 days after she left..."
"Where''s the rest of it?..."
"Have you not figured it out?"
"Oh, you''re back..."
"..."
"Nice to hear you again... so how do I leave here."
"Are you sure you''re ready too?"
"no... I''m not sure."
"Then let me help you... ask your questions and I''ll answer"
"What can I do?"
"Bwhahahaha... what Can''t you do darling... sorry sorry... you can interact with the environment If you can get your baring''s... but... it''s a lot more complicated than that... I''m not very good at explaining things to you... never been my forte"
"Why are you making this so hard?"
"That is not my intentions... it''s just that... my methods wouldn''t suit you... so... how about I show you a few things I can do... and you can find out how you''d like to do something similar?"
"That sounds alright... by the way... what''s your name?"
"Ah I suppose I should introduce myself properly... it''s only right, it''s just that... well I forgot who I was talking to... Former First Apostle of the order of the beast... Dedric, Velleman, Sanguinus, at your Eternal Service."
Arc of Despair: Chapter one: the Storm
New Cazador Outpost Of the order of the Dark seers
"So, what do you reckon they do in there? I mean I between their public appearances?"
"Why are you asking me? just cause I''m your boss doesn''t mean they tell me squat... but I reckon the same as us.... though a little different, practice, maintenance of their tools... and whatever their jobs are outside of what we know... best not to ask them directly... after all we''re only being paid to guard the perimeter... if they think we''re nosing into their business they might assume we''re trying to steal from them... and that wouldn''t end well for you"
Screams echo from within the temple all the way to this outpost and yet, no one bats an eye, not until they see a number of the order fleeing from the temple in panic and shouting various orders to anyone who will listen
"Who''s dumb enough to kick this hornets'' nest? and in the heart of their territory too"
"Dunno but I''m sure we''re about to find out"
A long while passes
"Even I''m getting called in... this must be serious"
"As the grave... Dark seers from every faction under the sun are reporting the same thing and their messengers are ready to deliver the message... The Governor, Arbiter''s, and even the Gentry will all be in attendance... and we need you there to help keep things in line... normally only the most elite would show up to something like this... but apparently this is too urgent they say to wait... so those bastards in the Dread League are going to have to hear it from their local soothsayer as opposed in some grand ballroom like they normally would"
"But even still... I''m just a squad leader... is it really going to be so big that even the lowest ranked officers are needed?"
"I don''t really know however.... they are claiming as such... and I''m sure you know better than to question these guys by now...."
Later in the Temple proper
"While I do apologize for gathering you all on such short notice, I''m afraid that my master''s news is quite dire indeed, and we need to begin preparations immediately"
"You had your toys interrupt me while I was spending quality time with my family Serpious, of which my duties prevent me from doing quite often, so it had damn well better be important"
"If a threat to the natural order of the world isn''t grave enough news, I don''t know what is"
"Explain, now, and leave no stone unturned."
"Very well then, Governor Silus, my masters in the sanctum caught a massive disturbance in the veil that completely upended many distant shores across in an instant before quickly consolidating its power into one point... and the result... should that have been aimed at our world... all would have been lost... My masters then fell into the Mists for some time before reasserting themselves... and if my masters had such a hard time in the seat of their own power... just from an echo of one Wylder''s attack... and one from a great distance... filtered through every single lens... i shudder to think where someone could have gotten so much fuel... let alone the effort it would have taken to control it to the degree my masters say, and even worse... what they might have used it for"
The room is silent for a long while before all the attendants take some time to discuss amongst themselves, after some time The Arbiter Silences the room.
"Alright everyone what we need is hard facts right now not baseless speculation, Serpious how certain are the Archons of the Wyld of their findings? and more importantly do they know who or what is responsibly?"
"They aren''t certain what even happened... they know it was one force... the unity it would require means it can''t have been more than a thousand... which means every single member of the group who did this must be powerful enough that it would talk a Hunter at least to deal with them... as for who is responsible... there are 5 suspects... I shall list them in the order my lieges believe the likelihood of from least to greatest, ahem. The Starborn have the natural power to do something like this, but this would require Nearly all of them and i nor my lords could see them being united enough to synchronize so perfectly as to perform this feat as they saw it, as well as we simply can''t find a motive for why they would do this..."
"On with it then"
"Right of course, then there is the Wardens, but we would have seen them mustering their forces if this was them, so the next three... they all possess the total powerbase required to perform this feat, and it''s plausible enough that it might even be them, so the ones we think are the least of three is simply due to the fact we can''t see them wasting the resources on something like this and that is the Gourmets, i trust i don''t need to elaborate? anyways these last two are likely our best candidates... but The Drowners don''t do things half assed and this could have been far worse so my masters believe... that the Clocktower has returned"
That announcement... caused a deathly silence to fall over the room... Then an uproar as all the attendants attempt to ask their questions at the same time
"What is the clocktower again?"
"Do you know the cause?"
"Where is going to be hit first?"
"How long will it last this time?"
"What does it herald this time?"
"Isn''t this whole thing a little too unlikely?"
The calls for order fall on deaf ears as everyone''s in the midst of either turning on each other, or colluding on what to do next.
"This is a shit show... just the mention of that old thing... and everyone reverts to being animals... just goes to show... the moment a threat you don''t know how to handle shows up... even the most powerful men..."
"I wouldn''t finish that sentence if I were you, you know they record these things, right? so they know what they can expect of their servants... and their allies..."
"You really think they''re going to sort through all this mess and will pick mine out... then search through everything to identify me... then after all that go to effort to punish me... just for stating what all the important people here already know?"
"Yes, and for no other reason than because you have no idea the severity this situation... the clocktower itself is not the big deal... it''s the fact that it''s returned... do you really think the seers would say it''s the most likely outcome without being certain of it?"
"Then why list the other four?"
"Because for the first time since the sanctum was built... the seers lack enough evidence to say for certain... and that''s why everyone here is so rattled... it''s not the clocktowers return that is scaring them... but the fact that something out there is hiding behind it"
"You can''t seriously mean"
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"Oh, but I do, something has changed fates design..."
As the mysterious figure walks away leaving the squad leader all alone, he realizes just who he was talking to... "by the Distance shores... why is he here out of uniform..."
"How about we put this farce to a rest and you sorry lot allow me to present my findings, let me tell you getting here all the way from my home on such short notice was not easy, and getting accurate readings while traveling is not a pleasant venture"
The words echo out over the noise of the room in an impossibly quiet for the distance traveled yet seemingly wrapping around all who hear it in a firm yet gentle grip, most seemed indignant at this display... up until they got a proper look... and for the first time since the mere possibility of the clocktowers return was uttered... silence graced the room
"Now that I have your attention let me tell you what I know... as I was the closest to where it happened at the time... I got a pretty good look at it all... and I can say one thing for sure... none of us can handle this thing alone... should it even be a threat that is... me and mine would die pitiful and pointless deaths if we attempt to fight... and I doubt we would win even if we a had a century to come together and plan against it... and worst of all this wasn''t a one off event... it was a fight between two forces... one died... and the other lives... one is feasting on the other... and there is not a lot of time before it recovers it''s strength... and finishes it''s meal... based on my most liberal estimates we only have 14.7 years before it finds it''s way here... and that''s if it''s recovery rate is at the level of a Drytor, and it''s senses and speed are at the average for an outer being... which given what it survived... and killed... I highly doubt underestimating this thing is the best way to go... so my guess is it''ll be here before the next Asteria Festival"
"Well, what do you suggest? Oh, Great King of Wayfarers?"
"I know the best way to handle something like this... but it''s a bit drastic... and normally a stupid idea... but with the Clocktower''s return...it''s possible to do this without dooming our world... but the price to be paid... I don''t know if it''s the best idea..."
"Your Grace, you can''t surely mean?... you are one of the people who closed that pathway personally... are you sure this is wise?"
"It is not the best idea I admit... but... the only other method I have faith in... while surefire... I''d rather not even think about it unless it becomes our only other choice"
"Then I Vox Populis of the order of the dark seers, and Chair member of the confederation of the Great nation of Revaria second your proposal... to open the old gates of ruination... and call our old master''s home..."
"I thank you for your support Serpious and your vote of confidence... but that was not the idea I had in mind... I was talking about a far far less horrid alternative... though this one does spell disaster for us as well... it at least has a chance to be... less cruel than... Them..."
with that the whole room seemed to collectively let out a sigh of relief and the Serpious most of all seemed relieved as it seemed the weight of the world was lifted off of him "well thank the great Wheels... but next time Perceus... lead with that... I thought... we would... again..."
"Yeah... sorry, I didn''t think your mind would immediately... jump to that... I thought after everything... people like you would have the ancient past far from your mind... as for what my idea is... you aren''t far off... we will need to open the old pathways... but not for... them... no... unlike most of my other ... I know how to tread those paths... I say we open the pathways... and I go out to make a deal with... some old acquaintances of mine... from the bad old days... some of them were good... and with that I believe we could build a force strong enough and skilled enough... to find a proper solution to our new situation... and who knows... maybe we will get lucky?... maybe that... thing... will be friendly and we can all go out and have drinks and laugh about the time they had us shitting our Britches over a misunderstanding and we''ll have the paths open for whatever we might need''em for and a whole slew of new and powerful allies to help out."
"Good to see your years haven''t eroded your optimism Percy... but how bad is it?"
"Shit didn''t even notice you there Briggs How''s the ol ball and chain doin?"
"Not the time for personal matters Perce, answer the damn question."
"Honestly? you don''t want to know"
"PERCY!"
"Only They were worse"
That made all color flee from the arbiter''s body, his body collapsing into his seat
No noise came from any in the room for some time after this announcement
"Alright the rest of you are dismissed save for those of you we will need in the coming days no one is to return until after we are finished... "BEGONE" with that command many in the room were Push/pulled/shoved/banished away and returned to their lives
"The guards can stay we will need muscle as well as knowledge... plus having a few more vessels to share the load couldn''t hurt"
"Alright... you heard the man... now everyone go prepare your things for travel... we need to reach the Clocktower... and figure out which method we need to make our attempts"
"Call everyone... even the drowned... we can''t afford to waste the time we have left... we need to succeed"
"I''ll get right on it... but what are you going to do?"
"Gather things, call up the wardens and rangers... cash in my debts to get the resources I need... and prepare to beg for help if my plans fall through..."
"So... I have to know... what are chances we get help that will save us? or that we can convince this thing not to either destroy us... or worse?"
"I have no idea... it''s been too long since we sealed off the paths so we could escape pursuit...things have likely changed outside too much for us to know... as for that thing... I didn''t get the best look at it... but its Density levels exceeded any beneath... them... as well as their Depths Widths Lengths Perimeters and Shades If I didn''t know any better, I might have mistaken it for The Dark Heart themself"
"Are you saying its comparably to The Dark Heart?"
"Not necessarily, just that once you go beyond a certain scale things get hard to measure... it clearly has power equal to at least the weaker followers of that monster... but I didn''t get much time... and I didn''t know if it had a memetic sense so I got what I could and got out... what really scared my was its prey... and the fact that it killed that thing is all I need to know to know we''re likely doomed if we have to fight it as is..."
"What beast could it have possibly killed that could have rattled you so? a zeitgeist? an Untold? a Weaver?"
"Thats the thing... it wasn''t a void beast...or some primordial spirit... those things while powerful, outsmarting them is always works... or using their weakness against them... it wasn''t even some god or demon... no... what it killed... was an Anaddernuller."
"... How?"
"Thats the scary part... it didn''t"
"But you just said..."
"It''s not dead... but it is..."
"What do you mean by that"
"I wish I had better words... I wish I could unsee it... I hope none of us are subjected... to... that... why do you think I''m so willing to risk... them finding us?... at least for all their power... we know how to fight them... we can survive what they can do... but this... If even an Anaddernuller Can''t survive... despite even the Dark Heart and all their allies being unable to kill one... and to be able to kill it in such a slow and painful way where it keeps dying as it comes back just to be consumed as everything they are is ebbed away... and that other... thing was just getting faster... and better... at doing... that... so yes... I''m eager to, to get some help"
"I... kind of thought those things were fake?... I mean... they''re rarely mentioned... and they just... kind of seem... like something created for the purpose of telling the lesson of there is always a bigger fish... but... If one of those same people who is in the stories about them says they''re real... are the stories fully real? or are they an exaggeration?"
"There is truth in those stories... but the facts are different than what''s portrayed... for one they are a hell of a lot easier to get rid of... but only because it''s easy to banish them... killing them on the other hand... even temporarily... let alone over... and over... and over again... until it stops getting back up?"
"And we are dealing with an unknown that has done that very thing?... hmm... who knows... like you said... maybe it''s friendly?"