Grand Ridge Academy.
“That...that actually sounds kind of nice. I doubt the Child would put us anywhere dangerous, but we should probably check around and make sure we’re safe here, too. See if there’s anyone even here.”
Penny noted and it was the kind of thinking that Justin was doing - more than getting a shower or taking a rest. They had more important things to do than rest! If... she was here, she'd probably be yelling at him to take a look around instead of standing here gawking. Naturally, Justin raised his hand and said, "I'll do it, but let's buddy-"
"... I assure you that there are no threats here, at least not from her," A strange voice rattled the group as they all whipped around to see a... child? They couldn't discern which gender the kid was. It was a bald-headed white kid wearing a dress, but their manner of speech and facial shape was both female and masculine. The stranger stared at them with... strangely orange eyes.
"Who the hell are you?" Justin asked as his fist immediately exploded with fire as the Soul-Self was ready to explode. He got a bad feeling from the thing... almost like when the Glutton first appeared. That cold, unnatural, sensation they got. Just directed towards one child and he got the feeling the others were feeling the same way.
"I... long ago abandoned my name, so the better question would be what," The stranger spoke to them in a completely monotone manner. "What I am is a voice, a Speaker, you'd say, for a being with no voice, that cannot speak."
"... So you're with it?" Justin asked.
"Yes, I have given my everything to it, but I have a question," The Speaker said, "... Why are you all so naive?"
"Huh?" Justin asked. "Why are you so creepy?"
"Is it because the False God put on a friendly face you believe everything it says?" The Speaker asked, "Don't listen to it; you got the whole story so wrong."
"Well, the "False God" may have a friendly face..." Jordan said, "... But it hasn't fucking tried to kill us thirteen times!"
"But, if you go through with its insane ramblings, you will all die...." The Speaker put their hands out as they looked out the door. "There is one natural order, and it is where we all are in complete bliss. As one. A world with no conflict, no misery, no pain... no form. Just peace, where we can all live forever together."
Alright, Justin had enough. An aura of flames engulfed him from head to toe as the soul-self, in the form of a phoenix, came flying out of his body and went straight for this weirdo! Right, when the Soul-Self made contact... he disappeared. Justin raised an eyebrow as a "Huh?!" Left his lips.
"... Don't worry," They saw the Speaker sitting on a bookcase behind them. "You all will have a chance at redemption... just fall... into the light...." The Speaker faded away into orange sparks, embers, and darkness and was gone as fast as he appeared.
"Okay." Kimberly flatly said. "Who the fuck was that?"
"I don't know..." Britney said. "Even with my knowledge of the thing, I can't tell ya' who the hell is that."
"Don't matter who, or what, that bastard is," Justin said. "We're gonna stop him."
"I don't trust his claim," Jordan said as she took a seat on the nearest chair... her leg was starting to kill her again and she didn't have the energy to run around searching. Kimberly took her side. "Go look around, the last thing we want is get caught by another fuckin' ax murderer."
"Got it, I'll get started," Justin said.
"I'll come with you," Lynette said.
"Me too," Surprisingly... Sharon said as she walked up. "From here on in... we have to work together. Despite what happened before."
"That's what I want to hear, Sharon," Britney said. "Let's get moving."
The Outskirts of Farmer Hill.
"... REEEDEMPT-"
Was the last word the possessed woman said before she met her end with a sword straight through the gut. The boy in the red robe kicked her off his sword as a group of other corrupted wielding weapons came after him. They all screamed of redemption and other chants for the Glutton. The man with the sword merely stood there as intricate symbols appeared all over his body - going all the way up to his sword. He pointed his sword at the crowd as a firestorm came from the tip of his blade and immolated a group of them as they burned to death. Some of committed suicide as they burned; but the ones that survived merely dove off to the side and charged them.
Two of them were hit with very precise arrows to the neck and dropped dead while the man with the sword swung his blade around and jammed it deep into the side of another corrupted. Pulling the blade out a man rushed him with a pitchfork and tried to stab him with it but he stuck his sword in between the blades. Another corrupted rushed him only to get hit by an arrow straight through his eye and dropped dead. He was still struggling with the man with the pitchfork.
Suddenly, someone with a massive purple robe came marching up with a dagger in hand and jammed it hard as she could into the corrupted's neck. The man in the red robe was given the perfect opportunity to jam his super hot sword straight into the man's gut and rip downwards. The sword was steaming with blood, and the man in the red robe merely shook his head as he pulled out a rag to wipe it off before sheathing it.
"Goro," Amethyst said as she turned around.
"Corrupted have been eliminated," Goro pulled off his hood and revealed that he was a young Japanese boy with short black hair. "What is the next objective?"
"You did well, but I am here to speak with the Obott twins," Amethyst turned towards the two twins in hot pink robes and they pulled their hoods down and revealed one was a girl, and the other was a very effeminate male.
"Yes, lady Amethyst," They both said in unison.
"Has that bastard awoken with the rest of them?" Amethyst asked and the Obott twins both nodded their heads.
"Yes, however, there is only a small amount of them left," The male Obott, Trevor, said.
"And lady Britney hasn't reported it to any of us." The female Obott, Theresa, said.
"She is acting independently from The League," Trevor said.
"Independently from the Watchers," Theresa answered.
"Hmph, typical," Amethyst said, "This means we have to find them and... persuade them."
"We will find them, lady Amethyst," Trevor said.
"Find them swiftly we shall," Theresa said.
A woman - she was dark-skinned, clearly had African features and was average height - with a red robe came running up to them. "Lady Amethyst!"
"Yes, squire?" Amethyst asked, and the Watcher could only point at the hilltops behind her... as they were quickly filled with the silhouettes of tall, skinny, beasts with massive deer-horns and long snouts like they were the skulls of goats. They began chuckling.
"League dogs..." One of them shouted as they grabbed a rock off the ground, they pulled their arm back to toss it. "Go back to Glint!" He tossed it, a rock the size of a basketball, right at the group. It was only because of the sheer reflexes of the newcomer that she was able to erect a shield made out of glass that tanked the rock.
"Go back home!"
"This is our town now!"
"League dogs are not welcome in our town!"
They all chanted as they threw rocks at the barrier, and it survived but it was quickly cracking. "Apparitions!" She shouted.
"Let's go," Amethyst said as she pointed her dagger into the air and intricate symbols appeared all over her body as a beam appeared out of the dagger. It quickly opened a portal that they all retreated into before it was too late.
After a little while, it was determined the coast was clear and the support group fell to rest. With various members taking turns keeping watch in case something came after them. It seems Grand Ridge was largely abandoned when the town went to hell; so they have the entire academy to themselves. When they drifted to sleep, they experienced yet another recollection...
... Another one? Kimberly thought to herself as she looked at her hands; transparent with a purple hint as she looked around. It was obviously another...
recollection?. After the third time, she knew exactly what was happening. This time, she found herself in an open field in the middle of Farmer Hill; she figured it was Mason square. Beyond a certain point, there was nothing but fog and shit. There were two kids, and they were crouched over something. Kimberly walked over to it, and then she saw a bloody dog - and the sight made Kimberly utterly
cringe - with brutal claw slashes through its body. It was losing blood fast, but it was shivering, still alive - Kimberly figured that, whatever happened to the dog, it was fairly recent.
Taking a look at the kids... it was obviously John and Amy Reid; just a few years older. Going from kids to high schoolers.
"Oh my God..." John muttered as his hands hovered over the dying dog's body.
"Do it, John, we don't have enough time?" Amy said and John did nothing except shiver some more, "...
I SAID DO IT!"
That was enough for John to finally swallow it and place his hands on the dog and a white light engulfed its wounds. They glow brightly with the white light; before the wounds started to close up and disappear. The blood was still soaking both kids and the dog, but in less than a few seconds the dog was brought from near death back to perfect health. John sighed as the dog wagged it's tail and hopped to its feet and even licked John's face.
"See, John?" Amy said with a smile. "It was easy."
"I jus- I didn't want to hurt it."
"This is the only way you'll learn to stop doing it," Amy said, looking at John.
"... Hey! You nerds practicin' your magic?" A voice from behind them said as they heard a group walking up... and they saw a bunch of kids that were around their own. They had baseball bats as weapons as they looked at Amy and John, grinning. The leader of the group was a tall kid with black shoulder-length hair and had on a leather jacket and jeans with heavy combat boots. Of course, John couldn't help but eye the symbol of
a raven on his neck and the symbol of
fire on the back his left hand that was hanging freely.
"Damien..." John hissed. "What do you want?"
Damien pointed the baseball bat at him. "You know what I want, dumbass. Just give it to me and nobody gets hurt."
"Well, you can't have it, Damien!" Amy shouted.
"Well, did you forget what happened last time?" Damien walked up and snapped his fingers at Amy and suddenly she dropped to her hands and knees in utter pain. She screamed at the top of her lungs as felt like she was on fire... the symbol of fire on Damien's hand glowed brightly as she tried to crawl towards him. A blue wave traveled outwards from her body and froze all that it touched - but once it touched them they weren't frozen solid but chilled to the point where Damien's focus was thrown off. Amy got up, giving Damien a death glare.
"... Yeah, I remembered we kicked your ass!" Amy got to her feet and ran straight at Damien and one of his goons swung a bat at her - but she ducked underneath it and quickly gave him a knee straight to his balls. He loudly hissed in pain as he fell over and John quickly ran over to him and tackled him over to the ground. However, he was barely prepared for Damien quickly clocking him square in the jaw. He stumbled over as Amy shouted "John!", and was hit square in the ribs with Damien's baseball bat.
"I told you, we want it!" He raised the bat over his head to give Amy the killing blow - but John felt a surge of adrenaline go through him at the sight and he tackled the boy. However, he did more than that - the other aspect of his abstraction activated and the parts of Damien he was touching began to glow. It glowed brightly as his torso began to turn into ash... and soon he fell apart until there was only his top half and legs left.
John was frozen in place as he did nothing but silently stare at what he did. He shivered; slack-jawed at what he did... before he fell to the ground and looked at the dead remains of his former bully burned itself into his mind. "... What have I done?"
"Oh my God, you killed him!" The last of Damien's group shouted. "I can't believe you, you are sic-"
An arrow hit him square in the back and fell to his hands and knees as someone else walked up and he looked over his shoulder to see a woman in a robe with a sword. He almost pissed himself as the woman raised the sword overhead and he shouted, "No!" The woman brought down the sword on him and killed him.
Amy immediately embraced John as he turned away out of shock and was crying. Amy looked up at the woman and muttered, "Floris..." Before her mild surprise turned into anger, "... Floris! What the hell are you doing here of all time?!"
"We have to talk," Floris said as she sheathed her sword and looked at the two flatly. "The situation in Farmer Hill has changed... and it's gotten far more dangerous."
"I can see that," Amy said. "But, what's that have to do with us?"
"I'll show you," Floris said as she knelt down and ripped open the boy's shirt - revealing the glowing sigil of a brain, on his chest somewhat splashed by blood. The woman twisted her head towards them as she commanded, "Touch it."
"But-"
"Touch it." Floris demanded as Amy finally released John and hesitantly reached out for the symbol... the closer she put her hand towards it; the more she felt drawn towards it. Eventually, she touched it and the sigil disappeared, and Floris pointed at her chest on the same area as the boy's sigil and Amy reluctantly opened her shirt...
... The sigil on her chest.
The three stepped through a portal and returning to a dark room, that was an enormous cave with a staircase illuminated by candles and torches. There were groups of people wearing robes and that sort of outfit as Floris walked over to the stairs.
"So, what the hell is going on?" Amy asked.
"Allow me to start from the top... remember what we talked about so many years ago?" Floris said. "About Abstractions, Lux, and Sigils?"
"Yeah," Amy said, as John was fairly quiet given what just happened; she couldn't blame him.
"It's all in this town... and it needs a Guardian," Floris said.
"What?" Amy asked. "A guardian?"
"Every generation there's a guardian of Farmer Hill, to protect the people in it from the Awakened and Apparitions, and to protect the Awakened and Apparitions from the world," Floris started off, as she took a few steps up the stair. "He or she must inherit the powers of the other Awakened; and become the most powerful being in Shimmer, to accomplish this task."
"... And how do we do that?" Amy asked.
"I just showed you one method," Floris said, "However, the Awakened may willingly pass their powers onto you... but there may only be one guardian."
The two looked between each other.
"As we speak... other Awakened are discovering their ability, and they're discovering the ability to take powers from each other - as Damien has - and they're using it in an attempt to become the strongest."
Floris shook her head.
"The Light-Bringer only knows what they'll do with that power."
"But why us?" Amy asked. "Why can't you pick anyone else to do it?"
"You are all we have, everyone else let the power get to them," Floris said. "Besides... you'd get dragged into it one way or another. You have the mark."
For a moment the two looked between each other, before nodding. "Fine. What do you want us to do?"
"You must go out and find the other Awakened with me," Floris said as she stepped down the stairs. "Then we will claim their powers, and then we will protect Farmer Hill."
"Okay..." Amy said. "Where the hell do we even start?"
"Come with me, then," Floris said as she hit the last stair and a portal opened in front of her. "We will do just that; find the other Awakened."
They both nodded their heads and went along, and after they left the portal closed and the other people in robes spoke to each other.
"The plan is going well," One said, "Soon, all the Lux in this realm will be in possession of a few."
"It's unfortunate that we have to kill so many of them," One of the other said, "But the fact of the matter is; less Awakened there are, less likely they'll reveal themselves to the world and ruin the masquerade."
They all shook their head.
"We're best to ensure that Floris does her duty to the letter."
Failure + Faith - Negativity...
After arising out of the coma... 8:29AM.
Grand Ridge Academy.
After that Vivid Recollection faded; Britney was the first to wake up. Last she remembered; it was her time and her shift was relatively uneventful as she recalled it. All she did was wander around and maybe read a book or two and pass the time. She thinks that the Corrupted had nary a clue where they were but after their encounter with "The Speaker"; better safe than sorry. Though, once it was Britney's turn to sleep; she hit the pillow like no other. It was a comfort that she missed, as she longed for the days when she could just let all of her problems melt away with sleep. Though, sleep came with new dangers as she experienced the recollection... and she was certain that everyone else saw the same vision.
It was her worst dream come to life; they now know one the secrets that she wanted to keep as long as possible. The second that the group realized that they could take each other's powers; then it was all over. Britney shook her head; it was going to end horribly, even with the Glutton being the greater evil. What about after everything was said and done, and they defeated the Glutton...
Wait, she honestly can't see them defeating the Glutton. Even after the speech with the God-Child, she wasn't confident they could stop it. The odds were just... too stacked against them. Britney realized that she was staring at the ceiling, and finally forced herself to get out of the bed. The girl was completely nude as she never slept wearing clothes, and she walked over to the bathroom - the first thing that she did was turn on the cold water on the sink and splash it on her face. The cold water against her face definitely helped her wake up, but it helped her prepare herself for the upcoming fight. She would need it.
Britney walked out of the room and shivered as she realized how cold she was. Fortunately, she had just the remedy; she walked over to her duffel bag against the wall that she unzipped to reveal her clothes. Britney made a quick trip back to the Williams Estate to grab herself an outfit; which consisted of brown heavy winter pants, black steel-toe boots, and a tan winter coat. She also had on a tan beanie with ear flaps and a pom-pom and thick winter gloves. She was well-equipped for what was about to happen as she glanced out the window and saw the winter storm was still going on.
Were they under that long, or was the Glutton screwing with the weather?
Either way; it didn't matter as the technology was acting up so they couldn't get an accurate measure of the time, and it was irrelevant to Britney at this point. She just wanted to get this mess out of the way so they can leave it all behind them, and that was just what they were going to do today. Find a map of the mountain, go in, and defeat the Glutton somehow. Eugh. They'd work out these details when they meet later.
Britney decided to go to their meeting point; the lobby, where a few of them were already there and ready. They had to discuss their plans before they get a move on. In addition, Britney wanted to talk about the dream, so she found herself a seat and sat down with her legs crossed and her hands on her lap.
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