[ Quest ! ] Echoes of a Realm Once Great

[Avari]

Avari
Refugee

Avari led the way towards Station Heights, not as any kind of self-proclaimed leader, but rather she simply had been going more at a trot than a walk. Artemicon described a portal appearing on Market Street, leading who knows where. What if it brought them to another world? What if Kale was waiting on the other side for her? When she glanced back over her shoulder towards the others, seeing both Marmadue and Max in tow, she couldn't help but feel impatient.

"Come on, let's hurry! What if the portal closes?" Avari of course had little evidence that the portal would disappear, but she didn't want to risk losing her chance to see where it leads. Artemicon seemed to believe it was tied to the note they found after the battle at the mansion. Could the portal lead to the Realm of Darkness mentioned in the note? Or perhaps the castle this 'Aqua' had spoken of? Either way, as they grew closer to the place Artemicon said the portal was, she turned to the others, telling them more or less what she remembered from the note just to ensure they were all on the same page.

Avari glanced around, looking for the alleyway Artemicon had told them to look for, and once they turned a final corner, the portal came into view. At the end of an alley, a dark, ominous oval awaited, almost like it was inviting the party in. "Whoa..." Was all she could say. She then looked to both Marmadue and Max somewhat hesitantly. "It looks just like the one that hooded figure disappeared into. I'm sure of it." She looked back at the portal, knowing that they would have to brave the unknown. She waited for one of the others to say something, specifically Max, hoping that in all his experience he may have seen something like this before.

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max walked right beside Marmadue, a short distance behind Avari. They had been recruited by Artemicon to investigate this ‘portal’ which sounded suspiciously like a corridor of darkness. He hadn’t seen one of the corridors in a very long time, not since back when he’d been fighting against the Dark XII. He also didn’t know much about them other than they were supposedly dangerous to pass through without proper protection.


For reasons unknown Avari seemed very impatient to reach their destination. Max just hoped she didn’t reach it first and decide to go through without them. There was no telling what was on the other side of that portal. For all they knew, going through that portal was certain death for them all.


As they came upon the alleyway where the portal was hidden at, his suspicions were confirmed: a large, oval shaped darkness lay swirling right in front of them.


Whoa...It looks just like the one that hooded figure disappeared into. I'm sure of it,” Avari said, looking back at both himself and Marmadue. Max just nodded as they all stared at the portal formed of dark energy writhing in front of them.


“It’s called a Corridor of Darkness,” Max said, in response to Avari, “I’ve seen these before, though i don’t know much about them. They’re used by those with a strong affinity to the darkness. Usually if you see one of these, it means trouble.”


He paused and looked between Avari and Marmadue, then back to the portal.


“We need to be prepared for anything. We don’t know where this thing leads.”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue was very much out of his element.

Yet, despite how nervous he was and how he honestly had no idea as to what the mysterious portal might have even been, he had chosen to come along. Alright, perhaps Avari had managed to win him over with her words in the end, but with some thinking, he had come to realize that this was something he really should be checking out. Oh, he had waited. Waited to see if someone familiar would end up in town, but there was no one. Wherever his father might have been, it definitely wasn't on the side of Twilight Town where Marmadue resided – otherwise someone would have seen him, surely!

But what if that mysterious portal would have led them somewhere else? What if… That was where he might find someone whose fate he was worried about? Hope only took one so far without any concrete evidence.

Avari had taken the lead, her pace a brisk trot through the town something the Yuke could only try to mirror. But they weren't alone, another man, Maxwell, having joined them. While it seemed neither of them had seen the mysterious person Avari had, there really didn't seem to be any reason to doubt what she had seen. Still, the tallest of the three couldn't help but swallow in his nervousness, silent otherwise.

With their speed, it didn't take the trio too long to get where this mysterious portal had been sighted. Avari had been worried that they might have missed it, while Marmadue might have wished somewhere deep inside that they would indeed have, but such a wish he wouldn't even admit to himself. Whatever it was, such a wish did not come true as his eyes settled on something that did not belong. If darkness had a shape and a form, this had to be it. Blacker than black itself, pulsating in the air as if it might have been alive, almost looking like it might have spread to engulf them all yet its size did not grow. Avari seemed to think that she had seen one of them before, but Marmadue couldn't claim to have seen anything like it, his mouth opening in a mixture of awe and fear as he stared, a sharp inhale heard from underneath his helmet.

But Maxwell was the one who could give a name to the thing, the Yuke's gaze snapping to his side where the man stood and directed downward. A Corridor of Darkness did not seem very inviting. Affinity to darkness and trouble seemed even less so.
"A-Ah, hold on," Marmadue finally managed to get a word out when it seemed like the pair was still intending on stepping through, despite how this portal thing had started to sound a lot more dangerous all of a sudden. Taking a step back, the Yuke at least had his reservations.
"Is… Is it safe?"

Someone had apparently walked through one, but…

[Jin]

Today was supposed to have been an ordinary, relatively peaceful day for Jin. The Heartless weren't acting any more than usual, and there was no catastrophic building collapse to deal with. He was supposed to have time to look for Kailyn and the others today, but that apparently wasn't the case anymore.

He'd felt the portal before he'd seen it - the dark energy pouring out of it the same as what the Heartless exuded when they gathered in larger numbers. He'd initially thought it was another outbreak of the little beasts, and he'd quickly gone to dispatch them. To his surprise, when he'd arrived there had been nothing but that strange dark hole in reality.

He'd waited, biding his time until something happened to see if it was dangerous or not. He hadn't dared touch it for fear of gaining the attention of whatever was hiding on the other side. If there was something coming, he'd be there when it came out.

Oddly enough, what ended up coming had been from the wrong side of the hole.

Avari, as well as Maxwell and a person Jin had never seen before, approached the portal quickly. Avari was ahead of the rest and expressed her wonderment at the strange occurrence in the air. Jin, mildly amused, gazed on from his position atop the roof of one of the several buildings in the surrounding area.

Then Max had chimed in, listing off both the name and the purpose of the phenomenon. It sounded like he'd had more than one or two run-ins with them based on how much he knew, which had Jin somewhat interested in how he'd come by that information. Not enough to bother asking at that very moment, though.

The figure in the helmet voiced his concern as to the safety of the portal, and the question seemed to hang in the air.

'A good a time as any to step in, I guess,' Jin thought.

He stood from his sitting position, kicking off the roof and flipping once in the air before landing firmly with his feet beneath him. Righting himself, he scanned over the three members of the group.

"The question isn't about whether or not it's safe, but if it's hostile," he commented with a gaze that lingered on the unknown figure. "This thing reeks of the same power that the Heartless do. Whatever made it probably doesn't have anyone's best interest in mind."

His eyes shot to Avari, and his brow quirked up a little with his next words.

"And speaking of everyone's best interest, aren't you still a little too inexperienced to be leading the charge?" he offered wryly.

[Avari]

Avari
Refugee

Avari listened carefully as Maxwell explained what he knew about the portal, telling them it was a 'Corridor of Darkness'. In her experience so far, Avari simply knew that the heartless were creatures of this darkness, so darkness itself had to be bad, right? Except, one thing seemed out of place. The hooded figure had saved her, Oswald and Charme before, and then vanished into a portal just like the one that stood in front of them now. If that hooded figure was bad, the mysterious figure wouldn't have saved their lives like that, surely! And if Artemicon believed this portal was related to their previous encounter, then perhaps this portal was left by the same person?

Avari took a couple steps forward then, just as Jin appeared, flipping off a roof and landing in front of the group. He started by confirming that the heartless and this Corridor were of the same sort of power, and that whoever made it couldn't have had good intentions. He then teased Avari about being at the front of the group, despite her inexperience. "It's not my fault they couldn't keep up!" Then realizing she might come off as rude, she gave Marmadue an apologetic smile before stepping forward again, closer to the portal. She watched it for a moment longer, and then turned to the rest of the group to share what was on her mind.

"Look, right before we found that note about the Realm of Darkness, Oswald, Charme and I fought this really big and scary heartless, alright? We wouldn't have made it out of there if it hadn't been for the cloaked figure. That person protected all of us with some kind of magic, and then vanished into one of these," she pointed at the Corridor of Darkness over her shoulder with her thumb, "Artemicon thinks this thing is related to what happened back at the mansion. We've got to at least have a look right? It could lead to another world for all we know!" She glanced back at the portal for a moment before nodding to herself, "I wanna check it out, and you can't stop me just cause I'm new to all this," She said, shooting a stubborn look at Jin and crossing her arms. She didn't seem to take into account that Jin might not be up to speed on all of this, but hopefully he would grasp the situation based on what she had mentioned so far, or if Maxwell or Marmadue could further explain things for him.

[Maxwell Tendas]

"A-Ah, hold on," Marmadue said, looking very nervous after Max had finished explaining what he knew about the Corridors of Darkness, "Is… Is it safe?


Before anyone could respond something dropped down from the roofs, landing right in front of them. Max’s hand instinctively moved to Quicksilver’s hilt until he realized it was Jin. He let out an angry sigh as he released his grip on his sword. Artemicon had mentioned there would be a fourth member of this little ‘expedition’ that would meet them at the portal, but Max wouldn’t have expected the red-haired youth.


Jin wasted no time in answering Marmadue’s question with one of his own and mentioning how the power that made it was similar to the Heartless’. Avari then piped up with an explanation of what had happened at the mansion. From what she said, the stranger that had rescued her that day had used a Corridor to arrive in time.


"Artemicon thinks this thing is related to what happened back at the mansion. We've got to at least have a look right? It could lead to another world for all we know!" The girl continued, looking at them all in turn before defiantly telling them she was going no matter what. Max could tell there were already tensions rising in the group, which was bad given how much potential danger they were about to put themselves into.


“How about this, guys,” Max said, looking at the other three in turn, “The Corridors are dangerous to pass through without proper protection, but we have to go through it anyway. Let’s stop arguing, and just go through. We don’t really want to waste time since we don’t know how long it’s going to be open. We should hold onto each other when we do, though. There’s no telling what it’s like to pass through one of these.”

[Marmadue]

Waiting for an answer, Marmadue's eyes flicked from Maxwell to Avari and back, hoping that the answer would be no. But no such answer came. In fact, neither of them managed to say anything before an interruption came, falling from the sky above – probably. He hadn't seen where it had fallen, but the Yuke did manage to witness the landing. Jumping back himself from pure shock alone, an oddly high-pitched squeak might have escaped his mouth. But he probably wouldn't admit to that.

Considering how tense he had been due to the strange portal and the lingering question, he of course assumed the worst. That this was an attack of some sort. However, the creature that now stood in front of them did not look like a monster – despite looking like his legs were still in one piece after such a landing. No, his appearance was quite similar to that of Avari and Maxwell, like they might have been the same species – and they probably were. That didn't mean the stranger wasn't dangerous, but the way Avari and the stranger acted with each other suggested that they knew each other from before. And even if the man hadn't been exactly polite, he did not seem… Aggressive towards them. That allowed Marmadue to relax, somewhat, his posture becoming less tense.

"H-Hos–" Marmadue gulped, having heard how the stranger had suggested that the portal could be hostile. Yes, of course, it could have been like a living creature out to harm them – it could even be alive.
"I… I-I believe that would count as not safe, if that were to be the case," the Yuke's hand rose to nervously rub his other arm, his gaze falling to the ground. He cared about safety, not exactly what made the thing unsafe in the first place…

If he was offended by Avari's statement about keeping up, he didn't make any signs of it – though then again, such signs might have been difficult to see with the helmet he was wearing. But no, he currently seemed to be having so much on his mind, only growing more and more nervous. Yet it seemed like no one was sharing his feelings about the matter… Or if they did, they weren't letting those to stop them. Marmadue swallowed. Maxwell wanted to go through, despite pointing out how there were inherit dangers to doing such.

"Ah… Right," the Yuke gulped, his fists having tightened into balls but relaxing when a sigh of defeat forced its way through him. He even seemed to deflate, shrinking into himself. He couldn't believe he was doing or saying this, but… But he had gone through the same thoughts earlier already. Marmadue wouldn't be here if he hadn't made a decision already. He forced himself back into his full length, his back straightening.
"I believe these two do have a point, sir. D-Despite the danger, we do not necessarily have much time to try to conduct research using safer methods. Whatever is on the other side might indeed be a hindrance – or a great boon. A-As things are at the moment, we are on square one and no progress has been made. Unless you have a better idea, mister…?" Marmadue tilted his head as he looked in the stranger's direction, not even knowing his name and holding his word there as he couldn't quite continue his sentence.

Of course, even though he said such things and seemed to be willing to go through with the rest, his voice did shake.

[Jin]

The first thing Jin noticed was the cowardly nature of the feathered creature accompanying Avari and Max. With a quirked brow, he silently pondered just how the thing had gotten roped into following these two. Perhaps his cowardice extended into his ability to say no when people strong-armed him. In that way, he might have been worse than Trey.

"Yeah. 'Not safe' was a given the second something like this decided to pop up," Jin replied, nodding in acknowledgment of the statement. "Whatever opened this is stronger than your run-of-the-mill Heartless."

Jin stood by and listened as the group explained their situation. Avari was adamant about something involving the Realm of Darkness and having fought a big Heartless. His brows came together in confusion at that. He hadn't felt anything particularly of menace, though he was still having a little trouble acclimating his senses to the frequency - for lack of a better word - that the Heartless operated on.

Well, at least someone had been there to watch the back of the three. Avari, Charme, and Oswald, huh? If Jin remembered right, none of those names belonged to particularly powerful fighters.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. A note? The Realm of Darkness? The Mansion? Artemicon? You're throwing out a lot of very vague words explanations and not a lot of specifics." Jin said. He wasn't the most social person. He doubted people who were out contracting the assistance of others would know who he was. However, if there was someone out there who was sending people off into danger's way, then he was curious as to who they were.

Jin glanced back at the portal. Another world? That much had his attention, at least.

Of course, Max seemed to think all this hesitation was out of fear rather than everything else. Jin's curiosity may have been piqued, but walking through a portal while holding hands all buddy-buddy wasn't the way he'd imagined today going, and it wasn't something he was going to partake in. He hadn't needed a security blanket in a long, long while.

"You're all free to do what you want," Jin said. "If you're going through, though, then I'm going too. Even if you don't, I still am. Big Heartless make for good fights, and if there's really a chance there's another world on the other side of that thing, there's a chance it's mine."

Jin turned around, facing the echoing dark abyss and steadied his gaze upon it.

"Let's get going."

With that, Jin stepped through the corridor.

[Avari]

Avari
Refugee

As Jin requested further explanation, Avari glanced back at the portal for a moment impatiently, but then obliged; it was better for them all to be on the same page. "Okay, so awhile back, Artemicon asked Oswald, Charme and I to go find his missing book and to investigate the mansion. We went, and before we even made it to the door this big like, bear-like heartless came outta nowhere, right? We thought it was going to attack us, but instead it started destroying the gate, almost as if he was trying to escape. We couldn't let the thing get back to town, so we started attacking it. Long story short, we defeated it with its own super-mega-attack, and it would have killed us too, if it hadn't been for the hooded guy showing up. He used some kind of shield type magic, like gold, glowy, transparent stuff. Kinda like glass?

Anyways, the person didn't say anything, just walked through a shadowy portal like this one. After he was gone, we found the book on the ground with a note inside that Artemicon didn't recognize. The note talked about something called the Realm of Darkness, and a castle, and this blue-haired girl named Aqua." Avari took a brief pause, remembering the bit about the castle mentioned in the notes. "Actually, the note also said there was a room in the castle that needed to be protected. Maybe the hooded figure needs our help? And maybe that portal will take us there!" It was little to go off, but it was all she could piece together from the clues they had at their disposal.

She turn and watched Jin, feeling slightly frustrated as he, acting all baddass, walked through the portal on his own. She couldn't help but think how cool he looked, like he was ready to take on the whatever laid on the other side. From what little she knew of Jin, she felt he actually could take on anything. She turned back to the other two with a determined expression, bent on being just as brave as Jin was. "Alright guys, whatever's on the other side, we'll go through together!" She gave them both one of her big smiles before stepping in between Max and Marmadue and taking a hand from each of them, "Ready? Let's go!" And so long as neither of them gave resistance, she proceeded towards the portal with the rest of the party in tow.

Just as they neared the portal, the anxiety of not knowing what they were stepping into set in on Avari's thoughts. She gripped both her companion's hands a little tighter as they all stepped through together. She hoped that acting on faith that this portal came from the hooded figure would be enough to ensure all of their safety.

[Fahe Reingard]

As Fahe flew over the town he had recently been relocated too he looked down to see a dark mass with a group standing around it. Stopping to hover closer to the group to see what they were talking about he heard that some mansion in town had been attacked by a bear-like Heartless. He was going to land to talk to the group until the apparent leader started heading to the portal with a feathered someone and a battle torn other in tow.

Not wanting for the others to freak out he kept hovering a small bit behind them. He had only recently come to the town and could already see that the town was damaged. As long as he kept quiet he could find out what what the Heartless come from. Possibly, or it could allow him to meet some new people, that would meet him by turning around and seeing a winged boy hovering behind them, thinking about what to do. He tried to land quietly but, it might have made a bit of a flappping sound.

How was he supposed to introduce himself? Reach out his hand and say his name, or just kinda sneak up on them? He needed to do something at least, this is a bit akward. As his thoughts started playing out in his mind the group walked into the portal. "Wait what are you doing?" he said as he ran after the group into the portal.

[NPC Bot]

What met the party on the other side of the portal was certainly a mess. It was clear it was some sort of world, as they stood before what was a city gate, but things seemed wrong. There was darkness, an ocean of it, and fragmented pieces of land, ruins scattered, armor and broken weapons lying about, rusting away. Smoldering fire illuminated the darkness, adding to the ominous feel on the mysterious realm. However, one would feel that the darkness didn't seek to overwhelm them, but merely was there, as if ancient. Some investigation would show the remaining parts of the gate, as well as three other intact gates, two with red auras over their entrances. The third, directly in front of the ruined gate, exhibited a stranger sight: a black hooded figure, wielding the familiar key that the previous party had seen. They looked back as they traversed the portal, starting when they saw the party. 

"What? Hur-"

The voice was cut off by the gate closing off again, and the party was alone. If they were to investigate the gates, upon approaching the respective ones, they would receive visions, hints as to how to open the gate.

West of the dark portal: A vision of a once great empire plays through your mind, airships flying in and out with goods as people bustled through the marketplace. Your focus comes upon one figure, running through the marketplace, burlap sack in hand as they were pursued by armored guards. A young boy, with blonde hair. When the vision ends, one hears a man's voice.

"Those of dexterity, prove your merit ahead and the next stage will be shown."

Through it, would be fragmented land, with parts of old buildings floating over void. The other portal was in sight, and it seemed they would have to run along the fragmented buildings. A low wall led to a balcony, floating in space, followed by a jump 5 feet up to another balcony. Between that and the next balcony was merely a floating wall, and it seemed one would have to run along it to get across. From that next balcony would be a long jump to the lower ground where they would be safe. 

North of the dark portal (cloaked figure entered): A vision of a great war plays through your mind. Wars between nations, gods being slain, gods being commanded. A great fog covering the land. So much blood. And among them, a young man, blond hair contrasting with his ebony armor, holding a horned helm. When the vision ends, one would hear a male's voice.

"Those who have known loss, give up what matters most to you to pass. Be willing to lose it all."

Before them would be a simple pedestal, with a portal on the other side. The cloaked figure is nowhere to be seen. 

East of the dark portal: A vision would come to mind, of armored soldiers around a war table, forming a strategy for war. One middle-aged man with blonde hair was standing, moving figures of airships and armies, speaking to the others as he moved the pieces among the map. All others looked at him, and it was clear his knowledge was bountiful. When the vision ends, one would hear a voice.

"Those of sharp wit, answer me this:

This thing all things devours:

Birds, beast, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays king, ruins town,

And beats high mountain down.


What be I?"


Walking through the portal would lead them to a platform facing a shadowy figure, who repeats the phrase "What be I" until the riddle is answered correctly.


---


Rules: This will be puzzle based, but be cautious! You are being graded on all this. Act as a character would, and see if you can impress whatever being lords over this realm and find the hooded figure. You can Google answers to riddles if you wish, but remember to stay in character. I'm looking for you all to impress me with the most top-notch roleplay you can muster. You have one week to respond, and may only respond once. Once you pick a portal, there is no doubling up. In addition, only two people may enter a portal at a time, which means the North portal will only accept one of the party. Good luck, and good hunting!

[Maxwell Tendas]

A small smile crossed Max’s face as Marmadue finally found his voice again just long enough to agree with himself and Avari. Jin’s response, though, was less than friendly. He looked at Avari with confusion before finally telling them to do what they wanted before walking through the corridor of darkness alone. The soldier just let out a sigh and shook his head. He had a hard time understanding the red-headed boy.


Avari seemed ready go follow him through the portal though, and Max agreed. They didn’t have time to lose. He took a hold of the girl’s hand on his left, and looked over at her and the Yuke.


“No matter what, keep your grip you two. I can’t tell you what will happen when we try to pass through this thing,” he said before stepping through with the group…


...And re-emerged into what seemed like a world totally infested with darkness.


The soldier looked around them. The darkness was so heavy and thick here it was like water, with bits of land scattered among it. The first thing he really noticed was a large open gate in front of them with someone clad in a large and thick black coat standing just on the other side. This new figure, which Max could only assume was the keyblade wielder Avari had encountered at the mansion, noticed them and tried to say something but was cut off by the gate slamming shut. There was no sign of the keyblader’s passing, only the scene of a great battle playing across the surface of the gate.


That was when he noticed the other two gates, each with a scene of the same blonde-haired man at different points in his life. The gates held Max’s focus so tightly, he didn’t even notice the newcomer emerge from the corridor of darkness behind them. That was when he heard the voices speak to him. The first about dexterity and the third about riddles. Neither interested Max. He was neither dextrous nor was he terribly clever. The second one, the one corresponding with the gate with the scene of battle, was the one that called to him.



"Those who have known loss, give up what matters most to you to pass. Be willing to lose it all."


He had known loss. It had been a more constant companion throughout his life than any one person. He had lost more homes than he cared to admit. He had also lost every person he had ever cared about. The sacrifice Erika had made to save Rubix many years ago still stung when he thought about it, as did the memory of Donovan’s limp, bloody body sliding from his arms into the mud.


However, he knew that many others stood to lose just as much if something wasn’t done to stop the worlds from falling. Twilight Town could very well be the last bastion of light left. Through these very gates could very well be the key to saving everyone. The thought brought back the pledge he had made when he had first been commissioned into the Drydenian army. It was a pledge to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm.


Now he had an opportunity to do that, despite his past failures. He knew what he had to do.


“I’ll take this one,” he said as he stepped forward onto the pedestal in front of the gate, heedless of whatever the others might say. He stood there for a moment, contemplating the consequences of what he was about to do.


“I have the power to control water,” he said to the gate, his voice showing no break in his conviction, “It is as much a part of me and my identity as anything else. Take it, and let me pass.”

OOC: Here's hoping the effects aren't permanent. Lol

[Marmadue]

Even though Marmadue had made his mind and certainly wanted to keep what decision he had come up with, he would have been lying if he had claimed to not have been worried, especially the more he learned. Ignorance truly seemed to be a bliss in certain situations, his gaze falling to the ground. He did not learn the stranger's name, his roundabout way of asking for it ignored. Perhaps he would learn it later, then – but for now, Avari handled the explanations.

But the stranger's actions did manage to catch him off-guard once again. Despite what Maxwell had suggested, the man turned around and started to head for the portal alone!
"Ah, sir, please don't–!" The Yuke called after him, but it was already too late. It didn't seem like the mysterious man had been so against the idea of going in in the first place, entering without hesitation. And while the motivation he voiced might have been shaky at best, there was one thing Marmadue shared with the man: they both were keen on finding another world instead of following the mysterious hooded figure Avari had seen, even if that might have been a bit selfish…

Having reached out with his hand, the Yuke now had to lower it in defeat. It hadn't done a thing to stop the man, it hadn't even slowed him down. Just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the darkness. Was he still alright?

Avari didn't seem to be concerned. Her expression seemed more… Determined than anything, a feeling Marmadue couldn't even pretend to be feeling – so he didn't even try. He was uncertain, looking in the girl's direction, following her with his gaze until she finally grabbed hold of his hand. Looking back at the portal of oozing darkness, the Yuke drew in a breath and held it, his own fingers wrapping around the hand holding onto his. This was it, then. Perhaps it was better to just… Get it over with. Before he could change his mind. He did, however, close his eyes as he took the first few steps, even if such an act was quite well hidden. He held his breath as they all entered, his grip tightening.

But wait. Was it a sound he heard from behind them – a voice?


By then it was too late to wonder about it, a strange feeling enveloping Marmadue's body as he sunk into the darkness. It was a familiar feeling, though perhaps this time the suffocating feel came from him not breathing as the tendrils of darkness caressed his feathers before spitting him out. By then the Yuke no longer could hold his breath, drawing in a good mouthful of air that he had hoped to have been fresh, but was instead stagnant.

And for a good reason. In front of him stretched out a landscape right out of his worst nightmares. A land in ruins, like it had been ripped apart and thrown around haphazardly with no love or care to as to what were to happen to the leftovers. The sky – if it could have even been called a sky, considering that it was all around them – was dark, a void. A vast reach of nothingness, pure darkness. While it was an unnatural sight, Marmadue almost felt like he had heard of something like this before. Never having entered the worst of the miasma streams himself, the stories… Well, they certainly reared up in his mind, his memories surfacing of those dreadful tales.

The Yuke found such thoughts frightening, taking a step back but never letting go of Avari's hand. It couldn't have actually been miasma, right? He wasn't feeling like he was dying, but his heart was racing nonetheless.

What had felt like an eternity due to the adrenaline surge had actually been a very short moment, barely the blink of an eye. His own body didn't manage to react quite as fast as his mind, but there was something that stuck out in the ruined remains of a world. A figure… In a black, hooded cloak. The gate they had entered was quickly shut before a proper sentence was managed to be voiced out.
"Avari, was that…?" Marmadue's voice was barely more than a whisper, looking down at the girl. She had been the who had seen someone like this, so perhaps she would recognize them…

It wasn't just him and Avari there, though. There was the stranger he had met on the other side, and… Maxwell. They all had made it through alright, the shock of it all making it so he hadn't even had the thought to ask if everyone was alright and present! And even now, he probably wouldn't have noticed the others if it wasn't Maxwell who stepped up, attempting to follow the hooded figure. It seemed like the stranger wasn't the only one who was willing to act out on their own. This time, the Yuke did his best to actually interject in time.
"Ah, wait! Please, let us not be rash!"

[Jin]

Jin had sat through Avari's somewhat long-winded explanation, but it didn't seem all that foreboding. Avari had grouped up with some people to explore the mansion here in town, and she'd gotten into a fight with some Heartless that a figure in a cloak had helped save them from before retreating into a portal like this one.

It was interesting to some degree, but the story wasn't what was selling the trip through the portal to him. No, he would rather have a good fight. That was what Avari seemed to be saying could be found beyond the corridor.

When he walked through the other side unharmed, Jin took note of the fringes of energy still clinging to him as he left. With a frown and a flex of his electricity, he blew off whatever was afflicting him. Perhaps the warning as to the danger of those gateways hadn't been an overcautious one after all. A prolonged trip through one might have unknown side-effects.

Still, it seemed he'd walked through one puzzle and into another. As the first one through the door, he'd definitely caught sight of the dark-robed figure holding what looked to be some strange and unwieldy combination of sword and key. The called once, their words being cut off by the closing of the gate as they did.

Jin was tempted to follow, but there was also the matter of the landscape. Darkness was swelling all around them, sitting dormant as if waiting for something. There was one very obvious fact though. This world was dead, and that in and of itself was distracting enough to still his actions while the rest of the party arrived.

There were three choices ahead of the...five of them now, it seemed. A boy Jin had never seen before had made it his business to dive into the portal just as the rest of them had entered.

'Great,' he thought. 'another wet-behind-the-ears teenager to look after. What luck.'

Still, that wouldn't deter him from trying to get the group through this. He doubted anyone here but Max had much experience with leadership beyond himself, and he loathed to admit that this always seemed to be the case in this new and foreign set of worlds. Still, competence required action, and if fate was hell-bent on making Jin bear the weight of the lives of everyone around him, then so be it.

Jin shook his head as Maxwell wordlessly stepped forward to the gate that the hooded figure had walked through, announcing aloud that whatever force had been speaking to them that he was willing to give up his ability to control water.

"Arrogant," Jin seethed under his breath. In all the time that they'd been here, this man had the gall to claim that the thing that mattered the most to him was his own power? He was either lying, or he'd be lucky if that was all the door decided to take from him.

He disregarded it, instead choosing to focus on the four remaining members of the party and the two paths ahead of them.

The boy with the wings would have no issue dealing with the obstacles of the Western path, but at the same time he likely couldn't fly while carrying the weight of another person in case of an accident.

"Ignore him," Jin stated, making eye contact with the helmeted creature. "He's the type to jump right into the thick of it and trust things will turn out okay. Besides, this works out well for the rest of us."

"You and Avari take that route," Jin said, gesturing to the Eastern gate. "I'll head the other way and take the newcomer with. He can fly, and a little obstacle course isn't enough of a threat for me to worry about. It poses the least danger to everyone involved. Sound like a plan?"

Jin turned, gripping the hilts of his swords as he walked to the edge of the landscape. As he did, a vision of a bustling city. While it was somewhat reminiscent of larger towns back home, Jin knew that it wasn't Tamnia. The militia from back home didn't look anything like the ones chasing after the boy. When the vision cleared and the voice sounded, Jin sighed and shook his head. He'd come here expecting a fight or a clue about home. This? This felt more like a waste of time than anything else.

With a slight crouch, he propelled himself off the ground and landed on the nearest floating mass, careful to keep his center of gravity low and his feet in a steady position.

[Avari]

Avari
Refugee

As they stepped through, the scene rapidly unfolded in front of their eyes. Avari's gaze locked on the hooded figure first, before taking in her surroundings. She took one step forward, her hand falling away from Max's grip as she reached towards the stranger, "Wait, come-" The gate slammed shut just then, blocking them from reaching the cloaked figure. "-back..." Avari let out a short, anxious exhale, now taking in the vast darkness around all of them, and the wrecked, ruined world this place seemed to be. Was this how the worlds looked once they fell to the heartless?

Her attention shifted as she felt her arm tugged slightly backwards, and she glanced back to look at Marmadue. She couldn't see his expression hiding behind that helmet, but he seemed worried. Avari gave his hand a brief squeeze to attempt to reassure him, and a few moments later he spoke up, presumably asking if that cloaked figure had been the one she told them all about. She gave a quick nod, "Yeah. He seemed surprised to see us too..." It was then that Avari noticed the newest addition to their little team: a young boy with wings sprouting from his back. Her head tilted to one side, never having seen someone like him before, "Who're you?"

When she looked back to the gates, she saw as Max approached and entered the center gate and it shut behind him. Didn't he want everyone to stick together? She supposed by the way the gates were setup they would have to separate in some shape or form. Once Maxwell entered the center gate, it opened for no one else. Jin then proceeded to direct the remaining party on which gate they should take, telling her and Marmadue to take the supposedly less threatening of the three. She frowned at this, as she didn't want to be protected, but at the same time, she couldn't let Marmadue go in on his own. Thinking this over for a moment, she gave a curt nod and looked up at Marmadue, "Let's go. That guy in the cloak might need our help!"

Avari couldn't help but remember Kale in this situation. Marmadue had made it very clear that he wasn't a fighter, so he was the most vulnerable right now. And who knows what the winged boy could do. She quietly vowed to herself that she would protect Marmadue if need be, and not fail like she had with her brother. Her grip tightened on Marmadue's hand again as she lead him towards the East gate, so long as he didn't resist. As they approached, Avari could see the scene laid out across the gate's surface, and the words then entered her mind.

"Those of sharp wit, answer me this:

This thing all things devours:

Birds, beast, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays king, ruins town,

And beats high mountain down.


What be I?"

She couldn't help but feel the confusion upon hearing the riddle, but stepped through nonetheless, the door closing once Marmadue (or whoever entered directly after her, anyways) stepped through. She turned to her companion, the confusion apparent on her face, "Uhh, did you hear that too?" She paused as she looked to the shadowy figure, who then repeated the last line of the riddle.

"What be I?"

"Please tell me you're good at riddles." She stated with a frown. Hopefully nothing bad would happen should they offer an incorrect solution. Uncertain what would happen if they did get the answer wrong, and being somewhat intimidated by the shadowy figure, Avari took out her sword with her free hand, prepared to fight anything off if need be.