Chapter 2
I adjusted my new clothing as I looked myself over in the mirror, the zip up jacket actually looking quite nice on me. The two tones of blue adding to the look; the upper legs and hood being a darker blue than the rest of the jacket that extends down past my flank.
The baggy grey pants really helped by allowing me to still be able to use my full range of movement. There was only one part of the whole ensemble that I wasn’t so sure about.
Ominus said we’d have to dress for both combat but also to blend in. He called it the Assassin’s Creed approach, whatever that means.
So he’s replaced my helmet and visor with a simple mask.
I guess simple isn’t the right word, as it can do everything my helmet could do, and more. Plus it attached to my face with some kind of magic so no straps.
The mask itself was grey with green predatorial eyes in deep black sockets. Two little green horns adorn the top of the mask above the eyes; Ominus called them Oni horns. The mask extended down into almost a beak that would cover my snout.
Overall it looked somewhat like an owl's face.
I place the mask on my left shoulder, where it locks into place. Very convenient.
I do final adjustments, making sure the pistol on my left foreleg was attached properly, as well as the retractable talons on my right leg.
“Perfect,” I muttered, jumping a few times and flaring my wings, pleased with the fit of everything.
Happy with everything I teleport to the door and step out. I step up to Lance’s door and bang on it.
“I’m almost done!” Came his response as the sound of crashing could be heard from his room, followed by cursing.
A chuckle escaped my lips as I shook my head. He may be older than me by a wide margin, but boy did he act like a teenager sometimes.
The door opened and he stepped out in his pony form, striking a pose. “How do I look? Pretty cool? Badass?”
A brown trench coat adorns his body, covering most of it. The high collar coming up to his jawline. He even had on a cowboy hat with a blue bandana around his neck, and a pair of ridiculous goggles with red lenses hung around his neck.
“Ominus is messing with you, isn’t he?” I asked, slapping the brim of the hat down, covering his face.
“No?” He asked in confusion as he fixed the hat. “I picked these clothes out myself.”
“Ah,” I spin around and start heading for the command center, a large smile plastered on my face.
“Why?! Is something wrong with them? Do I look stupid!?” He asked as he ran to catch up to me.
I just smiled wider as he stared at me for an answer.
“I can’t tell when you’re joking with me or being serious,” he said with a frown.
“Don’t worry about it,” I slug his shoulder with my wing.
“I will worry about it,” Lance muttered as we entered the command center.
Ominus stood before a portal, looking nervous. “I have to admit, I do not like sending you two down there. A lot can happen. And dying there is not the same as dying out here.”
“How?” Lance asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Since they operate on a Soul system, where they use souls for everything, if you die you don’t go to an afterlife. You just become a part of a weapon or used as currency. It’s basically a continuous existence where you are aware of everything happening but can’t do anything other than exist.” He looked at our now horrified looks. “I mean, it’s super simple! Don’t die.”
“Very simple,” I mocked, shaking my head. Dying has never scared me, as I had an idea of what happens to us. But now knowing for a fact the outcome of us dying in this new world has me a bit worried. “What should we do when we arrive?”
He gave a nod as he gestured to the portal. “You two will be appearing by a teleport station, no one will think you’re out of place, nor will anyone care. Wild dimension denizens will make their way to the Eternal Plains one way or another, so you don’t need to hide that fact about yourselves.
“Once there, you should start by talking to someone at one of the larger shops about where to get Soul weapons and to have your Soul abilities unlocked. I can’t help you there, I’m afraid. The only good news is while on the plains everyone can understand each other, so there’s no need to worry about language barriers.”
“Sounds easy to me,” Lance commented, tipping his cowboy hat dramatically.
“It’s not, but I believe in you two.” He walked over and placed a hand on each of our shoulders. “Please, be careful. If you get in trouble call me, I’ll send in Calypso as close to you as I can. But refrain from contacting me as each time you do, it could give us away to the Watcher.” He squeezes our shoulders then walks back to the portal, “When you find one of our friends, place one of the beacons on them and I’ll instantly beam them back here, then I’ll start the hunt for the Watcher.”
“Gotcha,” I said, giving him a salute, which just caused him to chuckle.
“Good luck you two.”
Lance and I stepped towards the portal, with him going in first.
“Scamp,” Ominus said before I entered, causing me to turn to him. “If things start to get dangerous, use the beacons on yourselves. Just know, anyone I pull out with the beacon will be banned from returning to the plains, so only use it in a life or death situation.”
“Thank you, Ominus,” I said with a smile.
“You can call me Nathan,” he said with a content smile on his face.
I give a bow as I back into the portal, entering the Eternal Plains.
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I’m not sure what I expected, but the world before me was beyond my imagination. We were on a grassy hill with an endless city around us, stretching far into the distance in all directions.
“I thought it’d be just plains,” Lance said aloud, voicing my own thoughts.
“New arrivals?” A large bear looking creature said as he stood up from where he’d been laying against a building, presumably the teleporting hub.
“Yep! We’re new to the Eternal Plains!” Lance announced freely, much to my annoyance. I’d rather not be so forthcoming with that kind of info.
“Ah, so wildlings? Perfect! I’m the official tour guide of the Plains!” He said joyfully, shaking Lance’s hoof with his large bear claws.
“We’re damn lucky then to appear at the right teleport gate then!” Lance replied in a joyful voice, much to the creature's delight.
“Names Lembak,” he said with a toothy grin.
“Lance Greenfield!” He then gestures to me, “this is Scamp.”
“Nice to meet you, Scampy,” Lembak said with such charm I wanted to barf.
“Yeah,” was the only response I gave as I pulled up my hood, eyes locked with his.
“Eh…” he rubbed the back of his head, appearing uncomfortable under my stare. “Right, tour guiding! Since you both are new then you’ll need somewhere to stay. I know of such a place.”
“No,” I cut him off. “We don’t need a place to stay. What we need are weapons and information about Souls.”
He stared back at me dumbfounded before collecting himself, “say, what are you two doing here if you don’t mind me asking? You seem to know more than most newcomers.”
“Oh, we’re here too…” Lance began to say.
“Lance,” I snap, catching them both off guard as I step between them and stare up at the bear-like creature. “We’re here on business, our business.”
He frowned deeply, but didn’t ask any further questions.
“So mister ‘tour guide’,” I started, the sarcasm at mentioning his title almost dripping from my mouth. “Guide us. Where is the nearest place that deals in Souls?”
His frown deepened, but he relented with a sigh, “go down this hill by following the path. Walk till you see a building labeled ‘Hemps Emporium’. He’ll be the guy you want to talk to.”
I narrow my eyes at him, causing him to look away from us. I then break my cold stare and smile. “Thank you, Lembak.” With a twirl and a flick of my tail, I start down the hill.
“I’m so sorry about her, she’s a bit rough around the edges,” Lance apologized for me, causing me to roll my eyes.
He ran to catch up with me, “You don’t have to be so rude, you know.” A frown was on his face, “I think it’s best if I handle all conversations going forward.”
“Look,” I said carefully, trying not to snap on him. “That guy is a conman, I don’t know his angle, but he’s definitely not a ‘tour guide’.”
“But he seemed so nice, I’m sure you’re just reading too deeply into him,” Lance countered.
A sigh escaped my lips as I turned to him, “You’re a good man, Lance. Maybe too good. I respect you, but I need you to take a step back, pull your head out of your ass and try seeing the world for what it is. Not what you want it to be.”
I may have been a bit harsh, as his ears lowered slightly as he looked ahead, chewing on his lip. Finally, he asked, “If you don’t trust him, why are we going where he said to go?”
“We’re not,” I said with a smirk. “I ain’t going anywhere near the place he suggested. We’re going to look elsewhere for the stuff we need.”
Lance didn’t look pleased with that. “I’d rather we not wander aimlessly. But okay.”
There we go, I was afraid he’d argue for us to do it his way.
We traveled down the street, creatures of all kinds walking around us. Surprisingly, I was seeing more human like creatures than anything else.
“What about there?” Lance asked, pointing down a long street where a sign was clearly visible. ‘Monsieur Crane’s Soul Service’.
“Perfect place to start,” I said in agreement and turned to head that way.
It didn’t take us long to weave through the crowd before we were at the building under the sign. Despite the sign being massive and impressive, the building in question was small and quaint.
I pushed open the door and we stepped into the building. There wasn’t much in the way of product or decor, just a simple room with weird objects locked away in cases, and a single table near the back.
“Coming, my friends!” A voice called out in a weird accent. After a moment a strange creature stepped out of a back room and threw open its four arms. “Ah welcome! Welcome to Monsieur Crane’s Soul Service! The finest in the Plains!”
I took this creature in, not able to gauge him very well. His slender body, long neck and jovial smile not giving anything away.
“Are you able to help us unlock our Soul abilities and make soul weapons?” Lance asked, just jumping straight to the point.
The creature laughed as he stepped up to the table and took a seat in a large pillow covered chair, “oh no no no, I’m simply the guide to those peoples! I can help with information and even point you towards required materials, but that’s it! That’s more than enough, yes?”
I eye him carefully as I step up before him and plant my hooves on his table. He reacted by smiling and placing two of his hands behind his head.
“What do you charge?” I asked, causing him to chuckle lightly while holding his other two hands up.
“My fees are rather cheap, despite the amazing services I provide,” he smiled back at me calmly, holding my gaze.
Lance stepped up beside me. “We are new here, so we actually don’t have anything like Souls or things like that.”
“Wildlings?” He asked in surprise, clapping his hands together. “Oh wonderful! It’s been so long since I’ve had the pleasure of meeting others from outside the Plains!”
He jumped up and spread his hands wide. “In that case, you are in luck! I am a collector of stories, with a deep interest in stories from beyond the Plains! I’ll take those as payment in your cases!”
“So you want us to tell you stories?” I asked, dumb struck at the idea.
He waved a finger at me, “‘Not simply tell, I want to experience them! I have a device that can copy memories. If you use it and copy some memories to it, I’ll take that as payment.”
I frowned deeply at this. I did not like the idea of handing over my own memories to this guy. Or anyone for that matter.
“Deal,” Lance announced, causing me to facehoof.
“Excellent! Tell me what you want and I’ll tell you the price!” The creature probably named Crane said in glee, almost dancing in place.
My frown remained as I made our request. “We need to unlock our Soul abilities, how do we?”
“So simple! I’ll only need a happy memory for that kind of information.” He stepped away and retrieved a device. Placing it before Lance, he held up a strange hat-like device attached to the main device.
“Uh, just put that on?” Lance asked, not even questioning any of this.
“Yes yes! Once on, it will take you into your mind. Once there you can just simply pick a happy memory for me! Any will do as long as it’s got a story attached to it!”
“Okay?” Lance put on the helmet. His eyes glazed over and he slammed face first onto the table, slumping to the ground.
I glared at the creature, who only smiled awkwardly back at me. “Ehhh, he was supposed to wait and lay down. Standing up while using produces those kinds of results.”
“Yeah,” I say, still glaring. “Don’t worry, it’s on brand for him.”
Lance groaned as he slowly stood up, removing the helmet and rubbing his face. “There, I let you have a copy of when my son was born. That thing hurts your face apparently when using it though.”
“No, you slammed your face into the table by misusing the device,” I tease, a coy smile on my face.
“Huh,” was his only response.
“Oh wonderful, wonderful!” Crane exclaimed as he reviewed a screen on the device. He sits back down into his extravagant chair, smiling up at the two.
“Unlocking your Soul abilities is actually quite simple. The materials however, not so simple to get.”
“Go on,” I pressed, my displeasure not very well hidden.
He started twirling his fingers about, acting carefree. “To unlock your Soul abilities, you will need a Soul Mystic, and a very special living gem covered in etchings of an unknown language. Very rare, and only can be used a few times before being depleted.”
I nodded along, writing notes into my PDA. “And where can we find one of these gems?”
Crane clapped his four hands together, “lucky you, I actually know the location of one of these gems. I just need another happy memory and it’s yours!”
“Lance pay the man,” I say over my PDA as I keep tapping away at it with my wing tips.
Lance groaned as he grabbed the helmet and put it back on.
“Lay down first,” I reminded, but the sound of him slamming into the table again just caused me to sigh.
After a few moments, he came back too and stood up, rubbing his snout. “Ugh, yeah, I gave you a memory of me meeting my wife. Damn that hurts!”
“It doesn’t hurt those who use it properly,” Crane commented, smiling at the screen.
“Ah yes yes,” he finally says. “So I have the teleport hubs tag you’ll need, and the location of the gems once you arrive. Only bad news; You won’t be the only ones looking for it. Other relic hunters and the like will be there. Very nasty business getting put up against them. But if you are fast and agile, I know you can score the win before them!”
Crane gave four thumbs up, only getting frowns from the two of us.
“Great,” I sighed as I held out my PDA attached to my foreleg. “Put the info into this.”
“Ah little fun computer,” Crane chuckled as he reached out with two hands and tapped away at the screen. “There. The tag ID and directions to the general location. Courtesy of Monsieur Crane!”
I looked at the info he’d typed into my PDA, frowning. “Those are some very basic directions.” The directions literally just say ‘walk west down hill, enter labyrinth, find gem!’.
“I pride myself on keeping things simple!” He replies with a wide smile.
“Okay, what about the Soul weapons?” Lance questioned.
Crane only shook his head, his smile never breaking. “Those are more complicated. Soul abilities first, then we talk about Soul armament’s.”
“Uh-Huh, thanks,” I said slowly, still not able to gauge this guys motives.
“You have been a great help, Monsieur Crane. We will be back soon!” Lance said happily holding out his hoof for a shake.
Crane leaned forward and shook his hoof with all four of his hands, “Yes! I look forward to living the memories you’ve given me! I wish you the safest of travels and luck, my new friends!”
I rolled my eyes as I stepped out of the shop and waited for Lance.
He came out smiling happily, “I really like this guy.”
“Yeah, I will too if this info turns out to lead anywhere.” I examined the picture of the gem that just pinged up onto my screen. It was just a simple looking ruby with cyan lines etched all over it in strange designs.
“I trust him,” Lance announced as we walked for the teleport hub.
“You trust everyone,” I remarked back, smirking.
“Not everyone and you know it,” he pouted, knowing I was right.
As we neared the hill, I saw Lembak sitting by the building. Once he saw us approaching he got up and quickly started walking away, looking like we’d caught him doing something he shouldn’t be doing.
“We’ll see you later, Lembak!” Lance called after him, waving when he stopped and looked back at us.
“You can count on it, Lemy,” I said with a single wave, causing him to get back to retreating from us.
“I rest my case,” I said as I stepped towards the front doors of the large tower-like building.
“What case?” Lance asked, seeming to forget our previous conversation about him trusting everyone. “Scamp, what case?!”
I could only laugh as I pushed open the doors and step inside the teleport hub.