Sceldrant's Comet

by Michael Rogers

  Rachael: *She wiped her forehead and smiled, dropping the dagger shaped rocks.* "That's what I call a workout."

  Nathan: *He held the sword with his left hand, allowing him to stretch his right wrist.* "To our next one." *He sniffed and walked towards the door, watching Luna fade up, leaving a ripple in the air.*

  Rachael: "Skyward?"

  Skyward: *He nodded his head with a smile.* "Coming."

  Lezard: "Naww. Razzypoo, our man Nathan and the new addition to the family, stepped into their third Reality Marble."

  Karol: "What about Loona?"

  Lezard: "She already left, you silly sausage."

  Karol: *He giggled at the way Lezard describes his words.* "Their fird.. They've got tooh more left?"

  Lezard: "Well, three more including the next one."

  Karol: "Ah-"

  Lezard: "And-" *He looked to another screen, watching Trevour and Twortz stand at another door in an empty desert.* "They've almost done too."

  Twortz: *She stood at the door and looked behind her, staring at two sets of footprints leading into the distance.* "This was too easy."

  Trevour: "On the contrary, Twortz. What would you have done if I couldn't detect its location?"

  Twortz: *She smiled and nodded her head in appreciation.* "Good point."

  Trevour: "Ladies first?" *He stepped to the side and waved Twortz to the door.*

  Twortz: "Hmph." *She placed her hands behind her back and cupped them, walking up to the door in a professional-like manner.*

  Trevour: *He watched Twortz's image fade upwards, leaving behind a ripple.* (I wonder what's in store for us next?) *He touched the door, causing the area to blur around him.*

  ----------

  *Rachael stepped forward and listened to steam-like hisses and mechanical clanks.*

  Rachael: "Huh?" *She looked up, noticing she stood deep inside a massive industrial area.*

  Luna: "Well.. This is awkward." *She stepped forward, staring at massive metallic poles.*

  Rachael: "It's still night."

  Nathan: *He wiped fluoro orange blood off his sword.* "How is it that their blood glows in the dark?"

  ?????: "Probably Astragon related, sir."

  Rachael: *She gasped with a smile.* "Trevour!"

  Trevour: "Heh heh, hello, everyone!"

  Luna: *She felt her arrows, causing her to frown.* (I've only got one left..)

  Nathan: *His number started to beep, causing him to walk forward noticing a change in tone of his footsteps.* "The ground? It's metallic?"

  Luna: "I know. You can tell by how it slightly mirrors your image."

  Trevour: "Oh really?" *He quickly looked down, staring at a dark metallic ground.* "I can't see anything?"

  Luna: "Me neither."

  Nathan: "Ha ha." *He quickly hid his laughter and looked away.*

  Trevour: "Ah, did it again, heh heh."

  Rachael: "Hmm.." *She looked worried.*

  Nathan: "What's wrong?"

  Rachael: "The ground, I can't feel anything."

  Trevour: "Yes. It's a little disorientating at first when you start to rely on the ground."

  *Metallic footprints clinked off distance poles, catching the party's attention.*

  Luna: *She noticed the party look at her, causing her to shrug her shoulders.* "Don't look at me. I didn't fart, aye."

  Trevour: "No, your vision, madam."

  Luna: "Oh-..." *She scanned the area with her sketch-like vision and noticed metallic spider Scoldrants move like crabs out of her vision.* "Aye?"

  Rachael: "What do you see?"

  Luna: "They were like robots."

  Trevour: "Rhobots?"

  Rachael: "They're like Rosterology devices that move on their own accord."

  Nathan: (Damn. More enemies-)

  Trevour: "Barring Lezard and Karol, looks like everyone but Twortz is here-"

  Luna: "Twotters? Pssht." *She frowned in anger and stormed ahead, listening to her metallic footsteps.*

  Trevour: *He looked up, staring at enormous machinery in the distance.* (Astounding-)

  ----------

  Grey: *He focused his attention on Rachael's party, observing the scenery in a curious-like manner, causing him to touch his throat.* "What kind of area is that, Ordin? Please respond."

  Ordin: *He touched his throat, shaking his head.* "Some Reality Marbles are actually part of the contestant's own memory."

  Grey: "I see."

  ----------

  *Twortz took a step forward and found herself in a beautiful green lakeside, watching the sunlight dance off the crystal clear yellow lake.*

  Twortz: "Yellow?" *She took several steps towards the lake, noticing cuts on her arm slowly heal.*

  *Twortz stared at her arm in amazement, causing her to slowly waddle closer to the lake.*

  Twortz: "This lake seems to have healing properties?" *She smiled and casually sat down by the lake, placing her arms in the water.*

  *Twortz splashed the water on her shoulder, watching it heal with red glittering light.*

  Twortz: "Marvellous. The rewards for my hard work, perhaps?"

  Man: *He angrily pointed at the screen with Twortz and glared at Grey, who continued to sit in his chair on the floating glyph.* "Why has that woman got an easy Reality Marble?"

  Ordin: *He stepped forward.* "Not all Reality Marbles are necessarily bad."

  Man: "That's not fair!"

  Ordin: "It is all random based-"

  Man: "I want my money back! I lost a massive bet because of these random-"

  Grey: "Are you questioning not only The Agoura Marbles, but the way I run things in my own city?" *He purposely cut the man off in mid-sentence.*

  Man: "...-"

  Grey: "Please respond?"

  Man: *He suddenly looked down in fear.* "My apologies, your majesty."

  Karol: "It wasn't vewy nice what Tworts did wif Loona."

  Lezard: "Indeed, little one." *He watched the party walk through the metallic city with a serious face.* "There was something father and mother monster used to tell me.."

  Karol: "Yheah?"

  Lezard: "Do you know that empty feeling inside your chest? Or are you too young to understand what I mean?"

  Karol: *He placed both hands on his chest.* "No.. I know the feeling..."

  Lezard: "There's a way to fill that empty feeling." *He focused his attention to another screen, watching Twortz stare at her own reflection.*

  Karol: "Wezard?"

  Lezard: "Friends.."

  Karol: "Fwends?"

  Lezard: "I still don't really understand what it means, but the point I'm trying to say-"

  Karol: "Is to be fwends?"

  Lezard: "Bwarharh.. Just.. Don't treat people like a second option when you're their first."

  Karol: "I dhon't get it?"

  Lezard: *He shook his head.* "Let's focus on the games, little one."

  ----------

  Luna: *She dragged her feet, sighing in an annoyed-like manner.* "Gah, this place is effin' huge.."

  Nathan: "Thanks for stating the obvious."

  Trevour: "I think she was implying about finding the door, sir."

  Luna: "Yea, dipshit."

  Nathan: "Hmph." *He grunted at Luna while keeping his focus on his surroundings.*

  Rachael: *She walked around a corner and triggered an unnoticeable thin red laser around her ankle.* "Just stick to the rules, let's keep moving."

  Trevour: "Heh heh. I couldn't agree more."

  Luna: (Lame-)

  Destiny: "Yeu?" *She hopped around and stared at a stack of poles behind Luna.*

  Luna: "Whoa! Freaky lookin' behind you when you're still starin' in front-"

  Nathan: "Huh?" *His sudden attention caused Rachael to look curious.*

  Rachael: "What's wrong?"

  Nathan: "Don't you know a thing about your own Scoldrant? She's obviously picked up something-"

  Luna: "Don't tell me what I do and don't know-"

  *Robotic-like beeps
interrupted Luna in mid-sentence, causing the entire party to slowly turn around.*

  Luna: "Aye?"

  Rachael: *She squinted her eyes.* "It's hard to tell with it being night-"

  Luna: "And everythin' lookin' the same!"

  Trevour: *He noticed the poles vibrate, causing him to look slightly worried.* "I think we should leave, everyone."

  Nathan: "Why? What's the problem?"

  Trevour: "I have a bad feeling, sir."

  Nathan: "And?"

  Trevour: "Because I actually care about your well-being."

  Luna: "Naww, save the corny shit for later!" *She grunted and frowned, staring at a gigantic spider-like robot.* "We gotta problem, aye."

  Trevour: *He scanned the area, shaking his head.* "Where-?"

  Rachael: *She noticed LED lights turn on, revealing the robot's location.* "What is that?"

  Trevour: "A-A Scoldrant?"

  Nathan: "No way."

  Trevour: "A massive Rosterology device?"

  Luna: "Just bloody run!"

  Destiny: "Yeup!"

  Trevour: "Maybe it's friendly-?"

  Machine: "Eee-oo-boarp-" *It suddenly fired two laser beams at the party and sliced a nearby pole, causing it to snap off.*

  Trevour: *He watched the pole larger than him hit the ground, causing the metallic floor to warp.* "How situational, retreat!"

  Rachael: (Oh no-) "Rock Pillar." *She punched upwards and noticed nothing happened.* (Again?!)

  Luna: "Rachael, you dumb bitch-" *She grunted in an annoyed-like manner and grabbed her hand, before running away.*

  Rachael: *She awkwardly turned around and started to run, pulled by Luna.* "Thanks."

  Nathan: *He ran down a maze-like path made of metallic poles and took a sharp turn, causing the party to slide around the corner.* "It might be large, but it's slow to attack-"

  *Two laser beams shined behind the party and artificial sparks exploded off a metallic wall.*

  Rachael: "We're lucky it's got really bad aiming."

  Trevour: *He started to breathe heavily.* "I'm.. I'm really tired."

  Luna: "Yea.."

  Rachael: *She ran at the front with Nathan.* "You're able to keep up though, Luna."

  Luna: "I'm a good long distance runner."

  Rachael: "You? Really?"

  Luna: "Yea?"

  Rachael: "I just didn't expect it-" *She jogged out of the maze and spun around, finding herself in a building sized factory.*

  Nathan: "Whatever that advanced Rosterology creature was, it's gone."

  Trevour: "Kerr-" *He dropped to his knees, causing his armour to rattle.*

  Nathan: "Get up-"

  Destiny: "Yeup!"

  Rachael: *She looked back, frowning in desperation.* "We need to keep moving."

  Luna: "Th-There's heaps of them little shits-" *She listened to hundreds of small metallic footsteps coming from every direction.*

  Nathan: (Darn it-) *He mumbled in an annoyed-like manner and picked Trevour up with one hand, before continuing on.*

  Trevour: "Sir?" *He sounded shocked.*

  Nathan: "You have to start working out."

  Trevour: "I do workout. I train my manipulation skills every day-"

  Nathan: "I'm not talking about Rostical-" *He looked up and noticed a door with glowing frames on the top floor.* "Look!"

  Rachael: "How are we meant to get up there?"

  Luna: "Anyone an Airbender?"

  Destiny: "Yeup?"

  Nathan: "I don't see any stairs or a mode of transportation-"

  Rachael: *She noticed a different coloured platform with a small control panel.* "An elevator!"

  Trevour: *He watched Rachael run towards the platform.* "Ele-?"

  Luna: "Don't worry, aye." *She grunted and started to run after Rachael, causing Nathan and Trevour to follow.*

  Rachael: "Awesome!" *She smiled in relief and pressed several buttons on the control panel, causing the elevator to activate.* "Everyone, get on."

  Luna: *She noticed the controls activate.* "How?"

  Rachael: *She looked at Luna with a proud smile.* "It's the same in design from my dad's paintballing company."

  Luna: "Kool-"

  Trevour: *He watched the platform raise and took the opportunity to rest, causing his number to start beeping.* "This sure takes a lot out of a man."

  Nathan: "Quit complaining."

  Trevour: *He swayed to each side, causing his number to stop beeping.* "I'm sorry, sir."

  Luna: "Pssht, apologetic pushover-"

  *Several metallic spiders dived down from the ceiling and landed on the rising platform.*

  Luna: "Shit!-"

  Nathan: "Hah!" *He quickly reacted to the robotic-like creatures and jumped into striking distance, raising the sword.* "Double Slash."

  *Nathan skilfully swayed his arm and slashed the sword to each side, slicing the robots into pieces.*

  Luna: (I don't wanna use my last arrow now-) *She grunted to herself in thought and stepped back, watching more robots fall from the ceiling.*

  Trevour: *He took deep exhausted breaths and punched the platform.* "DUST STORM"

  *A swirl of sand erupted up from the platform in a tornado-like fashion, short-circuiting three robots.*

  Rachael: "Hah!" *She punched up and noticed nothing happened.* "Huh?"

  Luna: *She continued to step backwards.* (They're too close-)

  Rachael: "Rock Pillar." *She spoke with determination and punched upwards, causing nothing to happen.* "What-?!"