Drifting Pollen

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Hillside Hamlet

"...That might be easier said than done." In Anne's era it would have been a trivial task to track down an odd couple like Gwen and her walking tree friend, but without her usual resources to call on she'd have to rely on word-of-mouth reports. Communication was an option too, but the Knight wasn't sure how she felt about relying on carrier pigeons or hand-delivered letters for any kind of important information exchange.

Maybe there'd be a way to find them using magic? She remembered how the Herald necklace had seemed to gravitate towards Millie—perhaps a similar effect could be reproduced, once she had a better grasp of how the artifact worked. For now, she could only smile politely and wish Gwen luck on her travels, whether or not their paths happened to cross in the future. "If you run into any more like us, try and spread the word. For the lost and the stranded, even a few scraps of useful information could turn out to be a lifeline."

With her parting request passed on, Anne trudged the rest of the way up into the hamlet proper. She had no intentions of sticking around for long, but while the caravan was still on its way she had time for a quick survey, and a few questions.

Once she'd satisfied herself that the town was in good shape, and wouldn't need much further aid, the tired Knight poked her nose into some of the locals' conversations for just long enough to confirm what she needed. First off, the oozing creatures hadn't been an expected or common occurrence in the region—which lined up with everything else she knew. Secondly, she'd find out the name of this quaint little village and file it away for later use, perhaps once they reported the incident to the monarch or their officials in the capital. She probably could have found out more if she'd really put the effort in, but Anne had worked hard enough as it was today. It'd be easier to gather intelligence in the capital anyway, assuming they could get there before a massive horde of invaders overran that place as well… That did seem to be a running theme with the stops on their journey thus far.

She was all ready to leave, all ready to move on and pursue her main objective, when the hamlet hit her with one last surprise. Just a girl—a little slip of a thing, childlike and morose, not much different from any of the countless war orphans Anne had known in the past. Who knew where the Gensokyo gang had found her, or why they'd decided to bring her along for now? In that moment it didn't matter: the mere sight of the child drove a sharp pang of agony deep into the Knight's chest, and left her completely frozen in her tracks.

No. It couldn't be—

That memory of me will torment you forever.

Her eyes had gone unfocused, her breath caught in her throat. That voice, a whisper in her ear, a crushing hand wrapped around her heart.

Of course it hurts. It's a punishment, after all.

Did you run to a faraway place like this, because you thought you could escape from me?

She lurched forward, a thing possessed, wholly unlike the worn yet composed woman she'd been just a moment before. One step, two, her false left arm outstretched towards the golden-haired child and her achingly familiar gaze—

—No, not familiar.

Anne blinked, suddenly seeming to come to her senses. It took her a moment to steady her breath, to straighten herself, to belatedly realize that she might have frightened the girl just now. Her lips parted, and she mumbled out an awkward apology, only half-conscious of what she was saying.

"I'm sorry. I'm..." A few seconds late, the full context of the situation returned to her. Remilia, Youmu, and Sanae, all accompanying this strange child they'd found. "I got caught by surprise. Who is this, exactly?"

The same Anne they knew, back on the ball and badgering them with questions. That brief elation from earlier, however, the fulfillment that had appeared in her eyes after they'd protected the town together, was entirely gone. If anything the woman looked more tired than ever now.

Neo Babylon

Some mornings... Were just shit, weren't they? Some mornings did not deserve to exist in this world.

See, a good morning should be like an apple fresh from the tree. Red, smooth, delicious to the eyes, and you took one bite out of it and ah, so sweet and juicy! The kiss of life in your mouth, crisp under your teeth, and you still had that whole apple waiting in your hand, a dozen more perfect bites to take. Whoever needed more of a reason to live than that?

Then there were the bad mornings. The awful mornings. The ones where you bit into that apple to find it already bitter and rotten, full of tiny sticky writhing things that squirmed against the surface of your tongue. You couldn't spit it out, oh no: you had to chew and swallow and wince at the vile taste it left in your mouth. And then you’d look down, at the soft and stinking mass still in your hand, and think:

Fuck me, I still have to eat this entire thing.

Could you really go through with it? Once, twice, three or four days in a row? So much quicker, so much easier, to just curl up in a crying ball and die forever.

Now Halima, she had a sense for these things. She did not even need to open her eyes to know the taste of this morning. Fetid, foul, awash with the lingering poison of a particularly nasty nightmare. The air here felt different from anything she’d known before, and when she reached back through her memories for the point where she’d fallen asleep she found only a jagged cutoff. A quiet moment, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, and then snap—nightmares, horrors, mind-shattering pain, and now a damp floor surrounded by the whisper of leaves and the wet sucking slurping sounds of far too many mouths all chewing at once.

The closer Halima listened, the further her mood spiraled off down the drain, into a black pit filled with hideous and unmentionable things. A wide smile wrapped its way around her face, toothy as a shark’s. Languidly, gracefully, she rolled up into a sitting position and let her eyes focus themselves upon this latest portrait of horror, this disgusting fruit that life had chosen to serve her.

Just in time, as it turned out. Her lovely pinprick pupils caught movement in the air, an adorably fat and fuzzy creature mid-way through its pounce. What a cutie! Maybe it wanted to be friends. Just look at those slavering mandibles, held wide open like arms awaiting her embrace.

Just look at them explode, scattered fragments of chitin flung this way and that in a glorious rain of red confetti.

The sound of thunder rang out an eyeblink later, though by then Halima had already moved her attention to worthier places. Who cared about dead things, right? She knew she’d placed her bullet well, right where the animal’s hide didn’t protect it. She knew also that the smack of the round landing dead-on would throw the fuzzball’s trajectory elsewhere, far away from poor vulnerable Hali. On a better morning she might have paused to enjoy the fireworks, but this was one of the shitty ones, and she had no time to spare for pleasure.

The apple wouldn’t eat itself. Hatefully, pitifully, she sank her teeth deeper and ravenously devoured bite after rotten bite.

More friends, more fuzzy animals, more hugs and greetings she couldn’t afford to return. Instinct pinpointed the next one to jump before it left the ground, and the thunder of her Valentine smashed its front end open just like its dear eager brother. Oh, a kindred spirit, only wanting to kill and eat and live! How it pained her to put down such wonderful beasts. Her smile widened, straining at the confines of her face.

No matter how many bullets she had on her, there would never be enough for that entire swarm. On her feet now, the tall woman darted for the trees, away from the oncoming tide. Oh, she was quick, and so were they—but those bodies on the ground, two of them yet to rise to their feet, they weren’t moving very fast at all, were they? Far better friends than she, so politely offering themselves up like that.

Let them both enjoy the party, then, while Hali raced between and among the trees like she’d been born to flee through the forest. Surely, if she could only survive this morning, she would find sweeter fruit to feast upon in time.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Hillside Hamlet

"I see..." Anne didn't look particularly happy about her theory being proven correct. Sure, the presence of two more offworlders had been of great help here, but how long would it be until they encountered one that wasn't so friendly? She still remembered how Youmu and Alucard had nearly come to blows, and Maokai didn't seem particularly fond of humans in general. Different values, different priorities... It was all too easy for people to come into conflict, even if their goals initially aligned.

And the warning we got through Millie. Cracks between worlds, a great danger. Was the process that had brought them here even under control any longer?

She had her suspicions about those 'curses' they'd been fighting, but there was no way to confirm anything as of yet. Instead, she decided to repay Gwen with a little information of her own. "My companions and I are the same as you two: all of us were brought here from different planets or dimensions. We're still not sure as to why or how, though we think an entity named Lavielle might be behind it." She glanced off towards the road, where the caravan was slowly coming back into view. "We're heading to the capital right now to try and find out more. Others chose to stay behind, or strike out on their own... But you could always come with us if you're looking for answers."

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Hillside Hamlet

The first thing Anne Mayer did, once she and her allies had finally cleared the battlefield, was sit down on the grass and take a long moment to catch her breath. Even if she'd seemed relentless while the fight was still raging, the exertion from all that running around had added up over time... Fortunately, the enemy this time had been pretty weak. Even though she'd ended up a little tired, her body didn't feel like it would give out from a skirmish like this one.

While she rested, the Knight took stock of her surroundings, and with some relief found that her side had suffered no serious casualties. She thought she'd seen Mokou take a hit in all the chaos, but it clearly hadn't kept her down for long. Most importantly, the village had come through it all more or less unscathed, and the sight of those fragile houses still standing tall was enough to drive the tension from Anne's shoulders with a shuddering sigh.

A bloodless victory. The joy and satisfaction welling up inside her could be read clearly on her features, and for just a moment the tired veteran looked nearly ten years younger.

At a measured pace, she approached the girl with the scissors, arriving a short while after Rayne flew down. The witch had already started asking the important questions, and Anne waited for Gwen to answer before following up with her own. "Anne Mayer," she introduced herself, and extended a handshake to the blue-haired girl, who might have passed for a Knight if she'd shown up in more familiar circumstances. "Forgive me for prying, but... The two of you aren't from around here either, aren't you?"

Her serious look was back, cool and analytical. Even accounting for the fact that she didn't know much of this nation and its customs, it seemed all too convenient for a pair of such powerful fighters to have just been hanging around a village even smaller than Aventon. More likely they'd popped up the same way Youmu and Remilia had after the initial 'summoning,' only much further away from the supposed epicenter of the event.

Just how far have things spread...? If otherworlders were appearing out here, then it stood to reason that they'd manifested in even more distant regions as well, perhaps even as far as the capital.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Hillside Hamlet

Once she'd reached a suitably high vantage, Anne paused to take stock of the situation. She'd been ready for the worst, but thus far the battle seemed to be playing out entirely in their favor. Sanae and Mokou rained down destruction from above, while Fran tore into the horde from the flank and thinned out the numbers reaching the defensive line formed by the two strangers. The mercenaries appeared to be holding their own, the caravan was moving to safety, and Lewa, Joker, and Youmu had each made steady progress around the fringes, all closing in from different angles on the bulk of the enemy force.

The enemy, however, would not relent. They did not scatter or retreat, but pressed on with a seemingly mindless zeal, like a living tide pulled by some unseen natural force. At Rayne's warning, Anne's emerald eyes fixed upon the larger units, and the mass of dark projectiles that arced up from their direction.

"Not leaders. Artillery! Take them out first!"

The Knight Witch was already on it. Fast, versatile—and, as everyone was about to find out, enormously destructive when she cut loose. She was ideal for handling issues as they cropped up, a trump card to counter whatever their foes might bring to bear.

That left one visible problem: the strays, still moving towards the hamlet unchecked by any defending forces. Winning this battle was one thing, but if a few creatures slipped through in the meantime... Just what kind of damage would they do?

It would be easiest if they never had to find out. With a deep breath, Anne kicked off from her position and raced down the hill, using her momentum to circle around the edges of the wider battle towards the settlement and its borders. It wasn't the same kind of explosive speed she'd shown back at the sparring session with the mercenaries: this was more like the sprinting pace of a regular soldier, only sustained without fail over a distance that would have left most gasping for breath. It would take a few seconds for her to get where she needed to be, but there would be no escape for her targets once she did.

As an amorphous monster crossed her path, the Knight finally drew her sword. Without slowing down, she sliced clean through it in a single one-handed strike and moved on before it had even finished dissipating. Two more loomed ahead, and two more swift flashes of her blade turned them into four. Using half of one disintegrating body as a foothold, she leaped to the side just as a ball of dark energy soared past and crashed down where she'd been a heartbeat before.

Without batting an eye, Anne pressed onward.

Her condition had improved somewhat after all the rest she'd had in Aventon, but she was still holding back, regulating her output to the bare minimum required for the task. Fortunately, the enemy here was slow. Even if their sheer numbers meant that some of them slipped through the killing field and approached the village proper, Anne would run each of them down and wipe them out before they could do any harm. Some fought back, flinging misshapen tendrils her way. Her sword was faster, carving through blackened slime with the same ease that it cut through the air. Creature after creature boiled away and vanished from existence, while the Knight beelined for the next one, and the next one, and the next.

It's not exactly glamorous, being on clean-up duty... But I can handle this much without issue. As the last line of defense, she'd make sure that nothing at all got past.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

On the Road

"With your skills as a diplomat, I shall be expecting you to serve as my aide upon our arrival at the capital."

Not halfway through the journey, and she was already being subordinated? That Remilia sure was a haughty one... Fortunately for the vampire, though, Anne didn't particularly dislike her brazen confidence. Though she sighed under her breath, the Knight answered the call with a resigned and nostalgic smile. "Normally I'd have to charge you for that kind of service, Lady Remilia. But since it's all for a good cause, we'll call it even if you can get the needed results."

For better or worse, she'd make a deal with the Scarlet Devil, and put her faith in the other woman's abilities. She seemed to fit the mold of a court lady much better than Anne did anyhow, and it'd be nice to have someone serving as a metaphorical shield between her and any overeager aristocrats. Being forced to marry one evil emperor was enough for this lifetime, thank you very much...

The conversation carried on, but besides the sensible suggestion of splitting up into teams to investigate further, much of it went over Anne's head. Fran wasn't a chimera, but a superpowered ghost? Mokou was actually a noble, and could resurrect herself besides? The sudden flow of unexpected information was nearly enough to give the Knight a headache, though she chipped in with her own minor contribution. "I'm not sure if my techniques have counterparts here, but the technology I'm carrying should be well beyond anything this world has developed." To demonstrate, she raised one hand and brushed it against the sleeve of her coat, which briefly revealed a glowing forcefield of interconnected hexagons floating just above the material. "Of course, it might just get brushed off as more magic... If I had some proper tools, it'd be easier to prove it directly."

Another task for when they reached the capital, perhaps. In the meantime, Anne followed along with Sanae as she sought out someone to fill them in, and once the essential questions were done with she smoothly walked up and introduced herself by name. And, she wondered, what did he go by? See, she and her companions had never seen the capital before, but surely he must know the place well—perhaps he could suggest some landmarks or historical sites to go and visit. She assumed the ruling family lived there, right? Ah, and where there were lofty nobles there would always be rumors and gossip surrounding them, which might make for an entertaining topic of conversation, especially if he'd met any local aristocrats and had some stories to share...

And so it went. It wasn't just about gathering info, but about building a relationship, getting this trader and his fellows a little more comfortable talking with the otherworlders in general. An ongoing project that proceeded over the next several days, with Anne approaching merchant and mercenary alike to make small talk and gentle inquiries. When she wasn't resting or chatting up the rest of the caravan, she tried to spend some time with the remaining otherworlders as well... Who were all beginning to feel a little less like strangers by now.

Say, would Lewa mind if she took a closer look at his mechanisms? Joker clearly knew how to handle a dagger, but she had a few tips to improve his performance. Why could half the group seem to fly, especially everyone from Gensokyo? Fran didn't seem much for conversation anyway, but as time passed and Anne watched her gather flowers and weave them carefully together, the Knight's expression slowly shifted from wariness to curiosity.

...Until, as inevitable as the coming of the dawn, the tides of war washed over them all once again.

---

Monsters. Nothing like the things Anne was used to fighting, but clearly inhuman nonetheless. Though she wore a grim expression, the fact relieved her: this way she could cut them all down without remorse. This time, no one would have to die.

Fran was off like a rocket, already on top of the priority target. For her part, Anne considered for a moment, dividing up forces in her head.

"Wide-area attackers should focus on clearing where the enemy's most concentrated—that's you, Mokou, along with Sanae and Fran. Joker, Lewa, see if you can deal with the ones trickling around and then hit the main horde from the back? Lady Remilia, I request ranged support, along with healing for any of us that go down... Rayne, watch from above for weak points and shore them up however you can. If you can spot key targets or enemy leaders, signal those of us on the ground." She hadn't spotted Youmu yet in all of this, but knowing that girl, she might well be in the thick of the fight already.

Of course, Anne had no way of guaranteeing that the others would follow along with her tactical advice. Even so, she trusted that their combined firepower would be enough to cleanly mop up a swarm of enemy infantry. She was more concerned about the possibility of a nasty surprise—and thus set off at a steady pace up the hills, seeking out a central position roughly overlooking the entire battlefield.

"I'll be joining in too, this time."

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

On the Road

Long journeys like this one weren't wholly unfamiliar to Anne, though she'd rarely ever taken so long to cover such a short distance. It left the Knight with all too much time to ponder, her mind swirling with old regrets and fresh pangs of anxiety. She still worried about what might happen to the village, and especially the young siblings, whom she'd promised to come and see again once her business in the capital was done. She kept glancing back down the road every few minutes, as though half-expecting to see a fresh column of smoke rising in the distance.

...There are children in the capital, too, aren't there? Families, parents, people with loved ones they cherished more than their own lives. Back in Aventon Anne had arrived too late to make much of a difference, but this time, if she could only get there soon enough, she would protect everyone. That desire burned in her like a hidden flame, and for much of the time her eyes remained fixed on the path ahead, as though she could will the whole caravan to travel faster.

"I can go with you, since I have diplomatic training." When Remilia piped up, the Knight was the first to answer, having already considered the problem over the past few days. "I'm not sure the authorities will let us see the monarch directly, but if we lead with information about the attack on Aventon, they'll have to at least hear us out. A kingdom can't ignore raids from beyond its borders, especially not from a threat as big as the Heralds."

More importantly, the destruction of the village was easy to verify: both the merchants and the mercenaries had seen the aftermath and could vouch for Anne's group if necessary. "First we show that our word is reliable, then we leverage interest in our exoticism. Build connections, and use it to gain access and support." With luck, they'd be able to secure aid for Aventon, as well as the cooperation of the local military in dealing with whatever threat Lavielle had warned them about.

@Izurich

The Land of Skara: and the Songtale of the Breaking

This sounds fun! Might play a fae if that's allowed.

From Realms Beyond — An Isekai Crossover RP (Now Accepting)

Anne Mayer

Aventon - Southern Gate

Goddesses. Shrines. Frogs. Summonings. At this point Anne decided it was best to just go along with things, and not ask too many questions until this whole matter was over and done with. I should focus on the essentials. What do I need to be able to protect everyone? What potential problems should I be looking out for?

"Options, yes. If the process that brought us here can be reproduced without Lavielle, then figuring out how should be enough to solve our major problems." What even qualified someone as a goddess, though? The only person from the Cosmic Century who might fit the bill would be Mother Knight, and Anne was skeptical that she'd be willing to help even if she could. "We also have to keep in mind the surrounding circumstances, though. If Sanae was able to summon someone here on her own, isn't that evidence of Lavielle's warnings being true?"

The weakening of barriers between worlds. A great danger soon to arise in the capital. In Anne's mind, the likelihood of those two phenomena being linked was extremely high.

But where do the Heralds come into all this...?

"We need to head to the capital soon." She looked to Sanae, who'd supposedly just been bolstered by her frog-goddess. "If most of us are going to leave, then we should do what we can to keep the village safe in the meantime. Can you set up barriers, something like back at the church, but more long-lasting?" It probably wouldn't be enough to fend off another full assault, even with Lily and Saria around, but in the worst-case scenario any extra layers of protection could buy the townspeople critical minutes to escape.

@PKMNB0Y

Rerun: Blackguards!

Svanhild

When Svanhild called for order, for information, it was the black-clad witch who answered first. Perhaps not so deranged as she seems, that one. A shame that she couldn't have brought better news: her first few words confirmed all of the frost giant's direst fears. Damn it all! Not ten minutes in and we're already discovered—did that abomination drop us here on purpose, knowing this would happen?

It didn't matter. She had to keep her head in the moment, and navigate through this as she always did. The forest would offer us cover and slow their pursuit, but there's no guarantee they wouldn't run us down before we reached the treeline. What's more, if word of our presence gets back to Sulfrey, we'll be hunted all the way to the capital...

"...We stand our ground," the giantess finally declared. It helped that the pyromancer had raised up some form of cover, enough to guard against archers and buy the group a little time. "Ogre, you're with me. We'll break their advance, trap them together—the rest of you can flank them then, and unleash Hell upon them all. Do not let any of them escape." Routing the enemy would not be enough: they had to end this immediately, and with overwhelming force. If anyone on her side showed mercy, if any of them even hesitated long enough to let an enemy slip through their fingers, it could end up spelling doom for them all.

With this lot, though? That may be the one thing I'll never have to worry about.

No time for further thought. A rallying cry tore through the air, accompanied by a flash of light that forced Svanhild to shield her face with one hand. Even as she squinted against the light, however, her other arm moved with unerring precision, turning her sword-point earthward her lips muttered words in a long-forgotten language.

Blue ice erupted outward from either side of her blade, and within heartbeats crystallized into the form of a massive tower shield. Taller than Svanhild herself, wide enough for three grown humans to hide behind side-by-side, and with long spikes on its lower edge that the frost giant now drove into the earth with all her formidable strength.

"Steady—!"

And then the enemy was upon them. A roiling mass of flesh and steel and noise and death, led by a mountainous mass of teeth and scales that failed to swerve at the last moment as its rider took a dagger to the eye, that failed to stop itself before it crashed head-on into Svanhild's frozen barricade and sent cracks spiderwebbing across the shield, as the giantess roared her lungs out and dug powerful toes deep into the soil and held, held her ground for all that she was worth, held just long and hard enough to bring the wyvern to a full halt and leave it momentarily stunned while the horses behind it stumbled or reared away from a massive and unexpected obstacle, and she wanted to scream out NOW, to tell all those mad bastards she'd been stuck with that this was their chance, before the damn beast recovered and tore into them all. But her breath was all spent, her efforts wholly focused on checking the monster's advance, and in that moment she could only pray to all her ancestors that they would somehow manage not to fuck this up.