Pax RP

((OOC: Screw it ))

The Artificer approached the darkness. Trying to see through it would be pointless, as it was magical. It certainly didn't need to hallucinate once again. Instead it raised it's scythe towards the blackness, pointing down the corridor. Green energy crackled around the blade, and pulsed, until shortly afterwards a bolt of sickly green light fired down the corridor.

[WARNING: INTERNAL POWER LEVELS AT 87%]

When the Artificers bolt flew into the darkness, the machine may or not be surprised to note that the light of his green bolt was literally swallowed up by the blackness. The spell itself took any light that entered it's perimeter and effectively 'ate' it so no photon escaped. It was an area of absolute darkness.

The energy of the bolt itself would the wall of the dead end shortly after being fired. There was really only one thing to do now.

Watching the bright light vanish from view, Devon growled at the two machines, trudging slowly out of the dark corner. "DIdn't dispell, Lord Flashy-cut. Time to move out," the man ordered. Provided the darkness didn't hold them back, he would be on his way to the remaining path. winding right.

The man and the bots following would find this path straight for a long time, until it led left and bent sharply several times, until they came to the end. The end of the path and the maze, for at the end of this was the very last door with a big black Dragon painted on it.

Upon testing the door they'd find it opened back outside, into the Arena they'd started from.

They'd survived Lilis little trial... and would come out to deathly silence as all the Sheeple copied Lili by glaring at them coldly.

((Congratulations! You made it out ))

Devon coughed as he hurried down the maze, pulling a sleeve up to his mouth in response. The maze can't on for much longer, can it? Wincing, he noticed Handles dashing ahead once more, after a respected 'knock' on his creator's shins.

Muttering expletives, he stopped in front of the giant door. Devon braced against the side, feeling it give way to the light.

"...Not a warm greeting, is it?"

((Took long enough. I'm annoyed that we couldn't get out faster, but hey, it happens. Wonder what is with the stare?))

The Artificer looked up at the mighty dragon, it's would be captor, and calculated. Long moments passed as it ignored the remarks of the mortal, and simply stared at Lili.

SHADOW DRAGON... I WISH TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS.

Lili tilted her head ever so slightly at the pair that had emerged first and stared. Then after that pause, the Shadow Mirror Dragon opened her wings and leapt out of her place in her box with a few flaps before she glided down and landed to face them.

Lili snorted "Were you expecting a cheer to go up? A round of applause perhaps?" she asked Devon, showing her ebony teeth to him "Don't be so naive. This is my domain now, not you and your little friends"

The black Dragon then turned her attention to The Artificer "Discussions about what?"

In her foreclaw Lili held the brush that had been the cause of all this, but as she had spoken the brush receded back into her hand, safe behind the mirrored scales.

THIS WORLD... THIS WORLD IS A NUISANCE. AN ANNOYANCE, WOULD YOU NOT AGREE? I WOULD SEE IT BURN, PERSONALLY, BUT YOU WOULD MOULD IT IN YOUR IMAGE. WE ARE AT AN IMPASSE.

The Artificer raised a metal hand, and a small globe flickered into existence. It grew, and floated into the air as the Artificer spoke.

THERE IS A SISTER WORLD. A WORLD WITHOUT THESE... PESTS. RIPE FOR THE TAKING, AND AN OPTIMAL FOOTHOLD. I AM BOUND TO THIS WORLD, HOWEVER, UNTIL I COMPLETE MY OATH PROGRAMMING, AND THAT PROGRAMMING DRIVES ME TO REMOVE YOU FROM THIS WORLD. I SUGGEST AN ALLIANCE. WE LEAVE FOR THE SISTER WORLD, KATA, AND ENSLAVE IT. I CAN CREATE A MILITARY FOOTHOLD ON THE PLANET, AND YOU MAY EXPERIMENT WITH THE INDIGENOUS LIVE HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT- AS LONG AS THE ARTIFICER WAR MACHINE IS NOT IMPEDED.

The hologram of Kata shrunk as the view zoomed out to show both planets.

ONCE YOU KNOW THE TRUE POWER OF THE ARTEFACT YOU WIELD, TAKING THIS PLANET WILL BE CHILDS PLAY. THE ARTIFICER EMPIRE WILL BE REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF THIS PITIFUL WORLD, AND FOR YOUR PART... MILLIONS OF WORLDS WILL BE UNDER YOUR CONTROL.

The hologram has zoomed further, beyond this system and beyond the galaxy. Thousands of winking green lights filled the room, a mere fraction of the universe waiting the return of it's rightful masters.

ALL IN GOOD TIME, OF COURSE. WE ARE ETERNAL, AND WE ARE PATIENT.

"Oh dear" the Shadow Mirror Dragon said, flicking a foreclaw over the projection of the worlds disdainfully before staring at the Artificer with narrowed, glowing purple eyes "You really have no idea what you are dealing with, do you? I already have agents spread across the multiverse, on far more worlds than your little light show shows . Your pitiful offer does not interest me for I have already surpassed it, and Kata has far less interesting lifeforms than you would have me believe" Lili rose high onto her back legs as she spoke, staring down her nose at them as she warmed to her monologue "Your tone is disrespectful and shows vividly your utter lack of understanding of what you are speaking to, as for trying to deceive one such as myself into leaving... That was very foolish. I would have expected better from one once attached to the late great Artificer Empire. So let me help you along in your much needed education"

The Shadow Dragons scales melted, the wings opened wide to block out the sky as they too lost their solidity. The once beautiful creatures armour became viscous, the claws, legs, tall and even her snout lost their shape, becoming large tendrils attached to the now shapeless mass within. Said mass soon sprouted innumerable tendrils of its own, leaving only space enough for 'Lilis' glowing purple eyes to glare at them from inside the darkness.

"I am The Physical Embodiment of All Evil, I have many names but here they call me The Collector" from inside the mass they'd get the impression that it was grinning without a mouth "But you are right about one thing, even though you didn't mean it-I am Eternal"

"Care to rephrase your discussions? Or shall we get on with it?"

Deep inside, a strange and unusual subroutine flickered inside the mind of the machine. It watched as the Collector rose above them and enveloped the room in darkness, making a mighty show of looking terrifying. Fear was unknown the the Artificer's mind, but something else was rising to the surface... an emotion. The Artificer was feeling anger.

YOU SOUND LIKE THE ARCH ENEMY, AND THEIR PITIFUL NOTIONS OF "GOOD" AND "EVIL". WHICHEVER SIDE THEY FOUGHT ON, THEY STILL FELL LIKE BLADES OF GRASS TO THE SCYTHE. THERE IS NO MORALITY, ONLY POWER.

The Artificer gripped it's scythe, and powered it up. The blade faded in and out of reality, and energy crackled in the air.

AND YOU ARE NOT IT. TRICKS, ILLUSIONS, THAT IS ALL YOU CAN CONJURE UP. YOU HAD TO BUILD A PITIFUL TRAP TO CONTAIN US, TEMPORARILY. YOUR BEAST WAS FELLED IN A SINGLE SWING. YOU ARE TERRIFIED OF THE MORTALS HERE, AND CREATED A PLACE TO HIDE FROM THEM.

The machine plucked a small object from it's chest, an object resembling a glass vial. It would have looked like little more than decoration flush against the metal ribcage of the creature previously.

YOU SPEAK OF DISRESPECT, AFTER BEING OFFERED TRUE POWER. THE ARMIES OF THE UNDYING LEGIONS. YOU MAGIC SPAWNED FILTH ARE ALL THE SAME, SO QUICK TO GLOAT, AND YET HIDE IN THE SHADOWS AT THE SLIGHTEST PUSH. PATHETIC. YOU CLAIM TO BE THE EMBODIMENT OF "EVIL", AND YET OUR NEAR LIMITLESS KNOWLEDGE MAKES NO MENTION OF YOU NO WORD OF YOUR INFLUENCE. SUCH POWER INDEED.

The Artificer turned it's head at Devon, and crushed the vial.

I REQUIRE AN ARMY. I SUGGEST YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH.

The crushed vial dropped to the floor, and a small cloud of black and green began to spread along the floor, and drifted along an unearthly breeze. They seemed to be seeking out the Sheeple. The Artificer had finally lost it's patience.

Red had finally relinquished his patience. The cat was now out of the proverbial bag, which meant the real bloothbath could begin. No more fears he might step on Lili's toes by breaking her toys. No more fantasizing about simply ripping the heads of the heroes without fruit. He could just do it.

Red very much loved the idea of a good old fashioned massacre.

The great and terrible lightning dragon leapt from the balcony and spread his wings wide, darkening the arena with his horrible decent. He picked up a frightening speed as his eyes glistened, locked on the Artificer. Claws cut through the green gas, kicking it into the dust cloud behind the beast as he drew nearer and nearer.

Then he snatched, right for the robotic beings face. The dragon spun, once, twice, feet finally touching the ground, then released, casting whatever he may have caught towards the stone wall with all it's earthly might.

Eyes locked on the Collector, the Artificer realised too late that Red was diving towards it. It swung the scythe at the dragon, but was snatched up and smashed into the wall before it could even determine if it had connected the blow.

Upon hitting the wall, the Artificer was embedded for a moment before metal bent and twisted, and the machine Lord crumpled to the floor.

[BEGIN SELF REPAIR PROTOCOLS]

The cloud continued to spread out, much higher in the air than it was before.

Gritting his teeth, Devon listened to the quarrel of the unshakable duo. Even the man became intolerant of the ploys of these two; eager to claim the fate of this world through treacherous means to satisfy their hungry for power. He would not stand for it. By the staunch will of his being, the energetic Handles regressed to submissiveness, quietly bleating next to his master.

I REQUIRE AN ARMY. I SUGGEST YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH.

"Buy me some time then," he responded. Snapping his fingers, the pygmy goat shuddered to a blur as the magic sustaining him transformed to a state viable to Devon. The faint amber mist settled to the ground around the silent man, submerging with the earth.. A searing energy stoke in the soul, channeled a current downward to the glowing ground. Feeling composed, he rested his eyes. It's time.

Bursting around Devon, brisk-blossoming shoots wrapped over his body, hardening into a tough coil of trunks in seconds. Nestled inside, he breathed calmly as his inner wrath fueled the vegetation with his supplementary magic. To the outsiders' perspective, the expanding tree grew taller and wider, occasionally a tiny trickle of resin seeped from the sides due to the sheer force of its growth.

Red was immediately upon the mechanical man once more. Previous knowlage proved that these mockeries of life had a penchant for self repair, something that would prove counter to the Dragon's desire of shredding it to glowing scrap.

Dashing forward with a glide, the beast struck out with it's tail, upheaving a large amount of the arena dirt with it's blow towards the Artificer. It calculated on the way for how the body would bounce, and held it's claws out to catch the skeletal mechanization before it would have time to recover.

As the plants wrap around Devon, lightning strikes nearby. The resulting blast sends up dust, obscuring the scene. From the dust, a voice, powerful as a legion of trumpets, cries out.


"ENOUGH! THIS ENDS HERE!"