Ronken's eyes were darting everywhere, from the beam of light, the fluttering bug person, to the Traveler with the bronze mask. His mouth agape and expression slack. His mind was was yelling over and over 'what is happening'. He was seriously considering if he'd taken something 'bad'. He had a bad feeling in his stomach that he had overdosed on something and in reality he was lying in a gutter comatose imagining all this. Then again maybe that feeling in his stomach was just a mixture of Happyroot and a sucker punch to the gut.
If it was the former and he ended up living, he vowed to give up his drug habit.... at least for a week. Maybe.
Taking a quick shallow breath Ronken said to the Traveler, "You're gonna tell me what the hell is going on." His voice hard but face still slack from fear. It was hard to be intimidating when you were being told it was the end of the world. Right now he was wishing he had a mask of his own to cover his face. He did his best to imagine the Traveler with the same expression, and it made him feel a bit better. Though deep down he knew no legendary Traveler would even blink at something like this.
The Traveler showed off some pin on their shirt, and Ronken tried to see what it was. He was still seeing stars from whatever had just blown up in his face. He noted to ask about that flash next. Once he did make out the tag he just groaned quietly. He couldn't read. No idiot in Cogswall would expect your average Joe to read that chicken scratch the nobles called 'writing'. But then, he had to remind himself, this idiot wasn't from Cogswall in all likelihood.
They ripped off their mask and to Ronken's mild surprise, they were a woman. A young woman too at that. It wasn't that he didn't think a woman could hold their own (he'd had his ass kicked by plenty of ladies) it was more that when he imagined a heroic legendary Traveler, his mind went to a wise old man. Maybe with a long grey beard.
He was slightly disappointed that they weren't shaking in their boots like he had imagined, but oh well.
And just like that, they were back in action. The Traveler put her mask back on, shoved the letter onto his chest again. What did they not understand about a delivery?! He was about to start to start their dance of hot potato, but they had already run past him and towards the end of the alley. This time there was no catching up, and no pulling them down from the wall. Ronken just yelled at them, "Are ya' dim or somethin'? Stop runnin'!" He ran after them, but knew they'd ditch him this time if they wanted to.
When they shoved down the fire escape and looked down at him with the cold grinning mask he gave a surprised, "Oh." Catching their wordless meaning. 'Follow me'. Or at least he hoped they meant that.
He jogged to the ladder. He debated thanking them for not leaving him for, as the fairy said, dead. But he decided he wasn't feeling very thankful at the moment. Instead he started to ask them, "You still haven't told me what is happeni-?"
He was cut off when the glowy bug person flew down and shouted at him, "What's happening is you're going to die if you stand here yabbering." They grabbed onto his tussled and dirty hair and started tugging. Making him grit his teeth and go to swat his hand at them. He already had enough mats and tangles in his hair as it was. He didn't need more.
He only managed to miss the thing, but it decided best to let go and leave him alone. Smart. He hated bugs.
Ronken took his first step onto the ladder and felt it lurch under his weight. A few specs of rust shaking off at the movement. He really hoped he wasn't about to fall flat onto concrete. That was all he needed to do today.
The sound of a musket shot made him jerk his head skyward to see a black crystalline form crash past his head. Landing a few feet away from him in the corner of the alley. It looked like those things he saw on the wall. And speaking of those things.
The demon that unbeknownst to him had been stalking Ronken and the Traveler was making its move. It gave a sickening screech and jumped for his leg. Its teeth sinking into his left foot. Fortunately the thick material of his boots managed to stop any skin being broken. But the panic was there all the same.
He gave a scream and kicked his leg out, trying to shake the demon's grip on his boot. The ladder gave a deep groan before the rung he was holding onto snapped, and Ronken fell to the concrete as predicted.
The Demon released its grip. It skittered back and gave a low hiss. Its white eyes staring through Ronken, sending chills through his spine. It shifted slowly around him, before bolting back forward and leaping at him. Ready to sink its teeth into whatever it could get.
He brought his leg back and threw a kick, hitting the demon in the jaw and sending it across the alley. While it recovered he got off his back and stood crouched over, his hand gripping the broken ladder rung tightly.
His stomach was doing twist and turns and his face had gone sheet white. He was seeing double and he was faintly aware he had broken into a sweat. He swore sourly that if he didn't get his throat torn out he was done with Happyroot for a while. Too much hassle. This sort of stuff never happened with Cloudhead or Plum.
The Demon had gotten up and, if he didn't know better, he would say it had stared daggers at him. It shook its head and twisted its jaw around, the crystals creaking in protest as they set themselves. It then started sprinting right back at Ronken, letting loose a scream like fingernails on a chalk board.
He was ready to strike with the rusted bar, the only problem was he saw two demons. He knew there was only one last he checked, but try telling that to the Happyroot. Under his breath he cursed whoever invented the drug in the first place before swinging the rung in a broad stroke.
With a sharp crack the rung connected with the demon's skull, pieces of crystal shattering and flying off. The rung itself snapping on contact. Ronken gave a cheer as the demon fell the ground. But he realized quickly that more damage was done to the rung than the demon. The beast once more began to crawl to its feet.
Unarmed and getting sicker by the second, he decided on a tactical retreat. He was not running away. If this was a person he would be kicking their ass right now. But it wasn't human, it was a magical creepy as hell diamond monster. So really, there was no shame in running retreating.
He shouted up to his well armed friend on the roof, "Help me!" He then started quickly trying to make his way up the fire escape. Trying to keep the demon off him by dodging and on occasion throwing a punch. All while trying not to puke.
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