Pax RP

Within the confines of a vast ravine there lurked a colossal machine. Humanoid in its proportions, it possessed all the requisite qualities of what the majority would name a 'Mech'. The Mech, for that is indeed what happened to be, was covered in well looked after blue paint, decorated diligently here and there with red stripes.

It would perhaps give the impression that the mechanical monstrosity had been there for naught but a day or two, however, this Mech had been there for an extended period of time. It was often attended by miniature mechanoids of a far more ramshackle appearance than it possessed.

The machine had been monitoring the situation in its own unique way, finally picking this very moment to emerge from within its base of operations.

The Mech lumbered forth onto the flat land of Mirror Ana, maneuvering it's tons of body towards the source of the new energy that had grabbed its attention.

"Reckless?" The manticore smiled at causing an inconvenience. "I would say i've simply expedited things. Now where are we supposed to be?"

Pax (Eight Moons)

Looking back at her staff, she just nodded. "Seems we need to go down. Luckily there appears to be an elevator here," Alex remarked. Approaching the aged console, she prodded the buttons, attempting to active it. "Strange, this ship feels like the one I spent my teens in. Organic technology, sleek design; whatever crew it had must been gone a few years at least. Ah, there we go."

Slowly opening the murky doors, a small chamber barely large enough for the two of them emerged. Stepping inside, the alchemist waits for the Manticore to enter before checking the control panel. "One floor at a time, I guess."

---

As the spirits vanished earlier, the Mech arrived at the deserted lakeside alone on the ground. Its sensors would pick up a myriad of wavelengths radiating from the overcast to behave in paradoxical ways. Gleams of lightning sparkled along like static, jumping around the sides occasionally as it floated there.


Pax (Dual Planets)

Blue fire cracking in his hand, the mage flung the arcane blast at the approaching shadows, disintegrating a couple in its wake. "The embodiment of this scourge plaguing our world," Tages answered, gritting his teeth as he watched them move Slogging down the walls, many clung at the barred windows during their assault. The terrified townsfolk blockaded the entrances as the last few fled to the nearest building. "Mirror girl, reinforce the structures with the most creatures attracted to first. We cannot allow them to attack the masses."

Unfazed at the attack, more of the spawn shambled closer to him and Evil Swix, their forms bubbling with impatience. The cloud itself stationed motionless in the above the Encampment as Permafrost wheeled around.

MS nodded, and did as asked, doing her best to grow the massive vines over the houses containing the townsfolk so that the creatures couldn't hurt anyone.

ES Meanwhile, sighed before gathering more convenient concentrated shadows into her palms, and throwing them at the creatures she believed too close to her. "And what happens if these touch us?"

Permafrost, up in the air, hovered to regard the cloud and the chaos on the ground. The Ice Dragon considered something, then snarled at the airborne thing "What do you want?"

The encroaching landscape engulfed various homes in its conquest. Explosive thorns and flowers gushed around the lush trunks, easily deflecting avid arms from breaching, but not preventing congestion. Hundreds of shadows targeted the cordoned off sector. Their intrusive masses trudged past Mirror Swix, nearly obscuring her as they ignored the woman.

Clashing at the dwindling numbers, Tages grumbled in protest. "Pain. Consuming pain. Where the last thing you remember is untold agony in darkness." Recoiling in the backlash, limbs flew far off the beings at Swix's strikes, pieces disintegrating in the breeze. The mage instead waned in drive. Stepping backwards, dread scorched his face as he heard from above.

---

~PERFECTION.~

Resonating throughout the minds of the Encampment, the disembodied storm spoke before the subjects of its night. The vapor closest to Permafrost gradually brighten to a crimsons sheets, sailing off as seven spires emerged at the depths. By the gods a frightful display beheld. Caustic light seared down the crystals, five of which bounded the tall figures, headless at their shame. While the only motile one addressed the dragon silently. Arms apart, the lavender clad woman beamed in wonder as a scarlet orb materialized above the final rock.

~WHERE IS THE OTHER ONE? WHY ARE YOU HERE?~

MS ignored the beings as they trudged past her, as they were ignoring her. If she could keep these people safe, then it was worth pouring all her effort into making sure these things didn't get them and making sure that they couldn't get through any gaps.

ES on the other hand, just kept going. The cloud above them was providing so much shadow underneath it, she could probably keep doing this for a long, long time. Too close to her also meant too close in any direction, so ES even threw some of her explosive Spheres at the creatures that were getting too close to Tages. There was only the pair of them here after all, and if he went, well, she couldn't exactly watch her own back. "Oi" she told him "Don't you go giving up now, I can't have the only other person down here fighting stopping, how am I supposed to keep myself safe? I don't have eyes in the back of my head after all"

Meanwhile, Permafrost snorted, bemused "There are many ways of seeking perfection, which one are you striving for?" he said, considering the large shapes "What other one? And why does my being here matter to you?"

The Mech halted it's advance towards the area, it stood perfectly motionless for the miniscule amount of time the machine mind within the casing required to analyze the information presented to it via the method in which it perceived the world.

Upon coming to a satisfactory conclusion, the Mech resumed it's forward momentum directly into the area that linked the dual universes together. It was the logical and, as of this moment in time, only method of investigation that would satisfy it's particular investigation into this unexpected development.

The mythological beast inspected the interior hallway, following Alex towards an elevator. When she mentioned the elevator would only work one floor at a time, he gave a sigh. That seemed to be in hindrance to the entire point of an elevator.

The Manticore dragged a claw over the floor underneath him. She was right about the organic ship. He never really understood how these things worked. Anything alive would have needed to breathe, and the only way he could see that working out is if the ship took in Carbon Dioxide and put out Oxygen. That of course meant it relied on the life inside just as much as they relied on it, unless there was another factor he didn't see.

The beast curled his deadly tail around, and carved a "C" into the flesh of the ship. He seemed to almost start another letter, but stopped. No. Just "C" would work here.

He entered the elevator.

Pax (Eight Moons)

"Nothing on this floor."

Alex watched the shuddering door close, sighing at the tedious part of this mission. Hand back on the console, she directed the elevator down another level. "The ship's vital functions are the only thing working decently from what I can tell," informing the Manticore, skimming through the ark's data-banks. "Atmospheric pressure in most of the biomes depleted, the vegetation designed to cycle the nutrients through the organisms are dwindling, and even the constructed river systems are clogged with debris. Surprised it didn't shutdown the generators in depression."

After passing nine floors, the Alchemist's staff began to pivot at the creaking door. Finally, they could resume searching for the man. Stepping into the murky hallway, her hairs prickled at her neck whilst exploring the humid metaroom. Queasy, Alex quickly covered up her mouth at the strong scent plaguing the air around them. "Ugh, what a rancor stench," she groaned. Hardly suited for the current environment, she startled in a backpedal as a group of Rocklice jump down in front of the two.

---

Sinking partially to the soft sand beside its feet, the Mech upon further readings would notice the terrain slowly regressing to its arctic nature. The warm ambiance that had radiated from the ground waned exponentially, liquefying the nearby snow into a muddy slurry pooling at the circle's edges. That 'mage' who departed before the arrival of the Mech dispelled the reversing attribute in the climate in the immediate area.



Pax (Dual Planets)

~BALANCE.~

Still resonating in the exact tone, the cloud formation yet conveyed a sense of churlishness by the churning thunder it masked with its hide. In its reproach, the shadows frothed underneath the seven spires stretch out, rearing a dark draconic visage at Permafrost. Then, at the base of the new neck, a powerful wave forced the cloaked woman and her totems to the seat of the darkness as larger beast writhed out from the abyss.

~YOU ARE IN THE WAY OF THE FINAL SANCTION. VANISH OR YOU WILL BE DESTROYED.~

Below, the core of Tages shivered at the sight of the monster welcomed to the Encampment. "Don't you go giving up now, I can't have the only other person down here fighting stopping, how am I supposed to keep myself safe? I don't have eyes in the back of my head after all." Teeth ceased chattering, the Blue Mage snapped back to reality.

"I've never sensed that presence to such magnitude before. It just won't end," he whispered, lashing an azure chain at a crawling shadow. "Their numbers are dwindling thanks to you Miss, though our friend above has his own problem though."

The man seemed correct for the time being. The remaining creatures near the buildings in desperation fused onto the vines summoned by the woman's counterpart, having exhausted their energy in the wake.

Permafrost bared his teeth at the figure, sharp, curved backwards and white as clean teeth can be, the Ice Dragons eyes narrowed. "You! You must have been the the thing that attacked my Encampment when I was away! Your 'perfection' creates only creatures that are confused, afraid and blind. So, no. No, I will not move!"

The Ice Dragon pulled back his head, and let out a stream of his freezing breath at the cloud creature.

ES rolled her eyes, throwing a few more Shadow Spheres at the creatures. "Huh. Seems we almost have the same problem, only yours only just showed up. Mine's with me all the time. In fact, she's laughing her head off at us right now." ES's eye twitched at the things apparent desire for balance, something her people happened to know quite a lot about. This show didn't seem to have anything to do with it "If you can give us a hint as to what to do, I'm open to suggestions though!" she said, throwing more.

"What? Are you scared of those things?" The Manticore asked, watching the rocklice and Alex's reaction. The mythological beast stepped out of the elevator and looked around. "What is this place? A garbage dump? Sure seems to have lots of plants... and probably all sorts of assorted disease."

"You sure we need to be here?"

From the side of the Manticore, a shadow gathered on his shoulder. The shadow pooled until it formed a circle, then the point of the circle extended outwards in the form of a black tendril towards the rocklice. The extra limb the mythical beast had suddenly sprouted would attempt to engulf the first creature it touched.

Pax (Eight Moons)

"I just got spooked, that's all..." the Alchemist griped. Punting the insectoid towards a decaying wall, she craned her neck as she gazed at the expansive vegetation. "The wildlife here definitely hails from the original Grendel Terrarium, through one way or another. Must have encroached the nearby chambers when its main biome failed, unfortunately."

Sneezing, Alex transmuted a mask to cover her mouth as she walked deeper in the room. Just like the good old days, she moaned. Waving the staff about like a dozing rod, she gestured at the moss-covered staircase. "The signal is stronger that way.... is your friend hungry or what?" she asked curiously, watching it inhale the rocklice.

Pax (Dual Planets)

~MORTALS FEEL PAIN. YOUR CURRENT EXISTENCE SHALL SOON BE PURGED.~

The fabricated monster roared out from the sides of the cloud beast, retaliating at Permafrost's icy torrent with a surge of roaring flames from its draconic maw. Matching might for might, the momentous collision spawned a sea of steam sailing off to the dreary sky, it forgiving humidity unlikely to harm him in the slightest. However, such kindness goes both ways. To the Ice Dragon, the grim reflection before him may arise an uncanny sensation at his core. The creature's muscular builds tensed at the sight of the dragon, its obsidian scales gleaming under the dripping black particulates down from the hard hide due to the earlier attack's watery residue. Baring its sharp teeth, the beast appearing as his otherworldly counter-part leaped off the cloud beast to thrash his enemy.

"Laughing..." he mumbled to himself, spitting out a corrosive acid at the sickly shadow beings near the edge of the vines. That voice... could it be be her? The blue mage wondered, struggling to rationalize why it seemed so lax in its path of destruction. A monster of this magnitude would have obliterated the residents in a moment's notice. "My advice would be to kill the 'rider,' as the 'steed' acts if it is barely involved in the plan at all," Tages concluded.

Breathing deeply, the man enveloped his body by the exhaled blue smoke channeling out from the soul. "Meaning we'll need a way for us to get up there, shadow lady. Your mirror should remain on the ground, the last of those dark spawn have no interest in attacking her," Tages inferred, stepping out of his transformative veil on clawed feet. "Not the strongest form, but it is enough to carry you in the air." Flexing his orange wings, the Charizard readied himself for takeoff.

"Probably just curious. She likely saw your reaction and decided she could make something truly terrifying out of it." The Manticore laughed heartily. "I'd be careful going around corners from now on."

The monster smiled and rushed forward, intending to knock Alex onto his chimeric back. The woman was moving far too slow on her own legs.

"Good sign, talking about how out our space ship is failing. Now lets get out of here before we sprout fungus." The beast joked, dashing up the stairs.

Permafrost broke off his attack after the creature of black cloudy particles had somehow managed to summon fire and block it, flapping his wings to back off slightly. "Mortals... " he muttered, unimpressed, and angry. When the 'other' Dragon appeared the Ice Dragon watched it carefully, and abruptly closed his wings so he'd fall into a steep dive and the impostors lunge would miss "Don't you 'immortals' ever get tired of stating the obvious when it comes to life span?"

Swix stared at the new Charizard Tages and very slowly raised both arms above her head in a large shrug "And just what exactly are you expecting me to do to hold on to get up there?" she said, mildly confused.


In the alternate universe, the tendril receded back into the Manticores shoulder with its prize, eerie laughter echoing all around them.