Rage against the Ghost in the Machine - 11/05
May 14, 2021 13:48:02 GMT
Jamie J, Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed, and 3 more like this
Post by Greebo on May 14, 2021 13:48:02 GMT
“-at any rate, it turns out my brief trip to Daring was largely spent outside Daring wouldn’t you know?”
“Uh… would I?” - The Wagoneer, a skinny youth by the name of Lob answered. The morning sun was shining as the wagon trundled it’s way out the gates of the city and through the fields surrounding the city. Despite the peaceful scenery, he was feeling decidedly stressed at the moment. His normal routine had been interrupted by his new companion who had said they needed to ‘commandeer’ his wagon, whatever that meant…
One of the wheels drops into a pothole, sending a sharp jolt through the pair, bringing him back to the moment
“Careful now! Pay attention lad, watch where you’re going… there we are. It’s a long journey as it is, no need to make it less comfortable for ourselves now should? Good! Now where was I?”
Lob glances from the road to the figure next to him, confusion still very much spreading through his mind like wild fire. He had tried to explain that he had a job to do but his small riding partner didn’t seem to be too bothered about that and had just suggested he would be taking the wagon… the more Lob thought about it, he didn’t really ever remember agreeing to anything for that matter either but here they were on the road now… and it just keeps talking.
“- interesting lad to say the least. She mentioned he could be a little obsessive and the array of paintings of the same scene would certainly seem to suggest as much. Needless to say, with a young man missing, I decided to accompany the ladies in recovering him-”
“Um… what ladies? I thought you said you were talking to, um… Oscar?”
“No dear boy, Oscar is in Port Ffirst still, no doubt on the nip again I’d wager. No, I said I was travelling with some adventurer’s in Daring Heights! I did tell you already, remember? Varga, Velania, Celina and Kelne? Come now, I know they are fairly new to the area but surely you heard the ruckus they caused in the rabbit?”
“Well, uh… me mam says I shouldn’t be hanging around there”
“Ah… well, far be it from me to suggest you don’t listen to your mother. Derek, however, well if he had-”
Lob realises he had now begun to sweat. It was becoming increasingly apparent it wasn’t going to stop talking and he wasn’t exactly clear on how to handle this. Lob was quiet and enjoyed taking these trips on his own. He could daydream and hum through the song he was composing. He was no Leocanto, he knew, but he quite liked the idea of being on the stage… but his ‘guest’ had insisted on coming along. Was he supposed to be taking payment for travel? Was he even still in charge of the wagon? He was holding the reins still but this.... Cat seemed to think he was in charge now?
“-force of nature, honestly, you should have seen it. She managed to smash her way through the undergrowth and trample a new path there all by herself.”
“Wait…. What path? where?”
“To the mine! We pursued our little friend there directly to Derek! Never saw him again though… or maybe we did, he had managed to construct quite a few of them by this point-”
The confusion was knotting into a solid lump of anxiety Lob was increasingly feeling incapable of handling. Despite this, he couldn’t stop himself in time;
“Con… construct? He constructed his friends?”
“Yes! The small mechanical flying one we spotted at camp. Turns out he had dozens of them, as well as some more complex ones. Couple were mining out the tunnels into near perfect squares and a few others had even been deployed as a bodyguards of a sort”
Somehow the answer had not cleared up matters and instead only presented more questions for Lob. He stares vacantly ahead for a while trying to process the morning in his head; He had loaded up the wagon last night. Fred had given him the final count and delivery note this morning and told him to head to the Lenoirs… then this cat showed up and started talking at him…
“-wasn’t too keen on the idea but the others seemed amicable to allow him finishing this project at least and, true to his word he was complete within a minute. The real issue, however, was the moment it was finished a portal opened up and, well, I suppose you could say the real thing showed up! Did not take them long before-”
The story had clearly reached a new level of absurdity to once again draw Lob’s attention;
“P.P.Portals? The.. real thing?”
“Yes. The real thing. Primus... Somewhat of a God of Order you could say. Decided Derek’s endeavours were too close for comfort and, well, I assume not in line with his divine image. So he had his own minions come and start trying to annihilate them. I was half torn to allow them to do it truth be told but after-”
A blank expression crosses Lob’s face, contrary to the tangled mess that his mental state was quickly becoming. Why was it talking to him? Why had it come along? Fred never mentioned having to deal with this kind of thing? Was this normal?
Another jolt snaps him from his revelry and he quickly realises he must have zoned out for some time as he can see the Fort nearby now… How long had he zoned out for? He looks around and the cat is still there-
“- in the end. Can’t say I feel particularly drawn to Selûne myself but it was still interesting to speak with Lady Venalia about… AH! Excellent. Should be fine here, good chap, slow the horses I think I shall walk from here. Stretch the old legs a bit.”
Without quite realising, Lob slows the horses to a stop and watches as the cat continues to talk at him before suddenly leaping from the seat and strutting towards the Fort. He watches it walk away for a long moment before noticing the Gold coin sitting on the seat next to him.
Several hours later, after the welcome solitude of the road has once again allowed his mind to settle down, one burning question remains that he isn't quite able to shake for the rest of the day:
“...Was he wearing a backpack?”
“Uh… would I?” - The Wagoneer, a skinny youth by the name of Lob answered. The morning sun was shining as the wagon trundled it’s way out the gates of the city and through the fields surrounding the city. Despite the peaceful scenery, he was feeling decidedly stressed at the moment. His normal routine had been interrupted by his new companion who had said they needed to ‘commandeer’ his wagon, whatever that meant…
One of the wheels drops into a pothole, sending a sharp jolt through the pair, bringing him back to the moment
“Careful now! Pay attention lad, watch where you’re going… there we are. It’s a long journey as it is, no need to make it less comfortable for ourselves now should? Good! Now where was I?”
Lob glances from the road to the figure next to him, confusion still very much spreading through his mind like wild fire. He had tried to explain that he had a job to do but his small riding partner didn’t seem to be too bothered about that and had just suggested he would be taking the wagon… the more Lob thought about it, he didn’t really ever remember agreeing to anything for that matter either but here they were on the road now… and it just keeps talking.
“- interesting lad to say the least. She mentioned he could be a little obsessive and the array of paintings of the same scene would certainly seem to suggest as much. Needless to say, with a young man missing, I decided to accompany the ladies in recovering him-”
“Um… what ladies? I thought you said you were talking to, um… Oscar?”
“No dear boy, Oscar is in Port Ffirst still, no doubt on the nip again I’d wager. No, I said I was travelling with some adventurer’s in Daring Heights! I did tell you already, remember? Varga, Velania, Celina and Kelne? Come now, I know they are fairly new to the area but surely you heard the ruckus they caused in the rabbit?”
“Well, uh… me mam says I shouldn’t be hanging around there”
“Ah… well, far be it from me to suggest you don’t listen to your mother. Derek, however, well if he had-”
Lob realises he had now begun to sweat. It was becoming increasingly apparent it wasn’t going to stop talking and he wasn’t exactly clear on how to handle this. Lob was quiet and enjoyed taking these trips on his own. He could daydream and hum through the song he was composing. He was no Leocanto, he knew, but he quite liked the idea of being on the stage… but his ‘guest’ had insisted on coming along. Was he supposed to be taking payment for travel? Was he even still in charge of the wagon? He was holding the reins still but this.... Cat seemed to think he was in charge now?
“-force of nature, honestly, you should have seen it. She managed to smash her way through the undergrowth and trample a new path there all by herself.”
“Wait…. What path? where?”
“To the mine! We pursued our little friend there directly to Derek! Never saw him again though… or maybe we did, he had managed to construct quite a few of them by this point-”
The confusion was knotting into a solid lump of anxiety Lob was increasingly feeling incapable of handling. Despite this, he couldn’t stop himself in time;
“Con… construct? He constructed his friends?”
“Yes! The small mechanical flying one we spotted at camp. Turns out he had dozens of them, as well as some more complex ones. Couple were mining out the tunnels into near perfect squares and a few others had even been deployed as a bodyguards of a sort”
Somehow the answer had not cleared up matters and instead only presented more questions for Lob. He stares vacantly ahead for a while trying to process the morning in his head; He had loaded up the wagon last night. Fred had given him the final count and delivery note this morning and told him to head to the Lenoirs… then this cat showed up and started talking at him…
“-wasn’t too keen on the idea but the others seemed amicable to allow him finishing this project at least and, true to his word he was complete within a minute. The real issue, however, was the moment it was finished a portal opened up and, well, I suppose you could say the real thing showed up! Did not take them long before-”
The story had clearly reached a new level of absurdity to once again draw Lob’s attention;
“P.P.Portals? The.. real thing?”
“Yes. The real thing. Primus... Somewhat of a God of Order you could say. Decided Derek’s endeavours were too close for comfort and, well, I assume not in line with his divine image. So he had his own minions come and start trying to annihilate them. I was half torn to allow them to do it truth be told but after-”
A blank expression crosses Lob’s face, contrary to the tangled mess that his mental state was quickly becoming. Why was it talking to him? Why had it come along? Fred never mentioned having to deal with this kind of thing? Was this normal?
Another jolt snaps him from his revelry and he quickly realises he must have zoned out for some time as he can see the Fort nearby now… How long had he zoned out for? He looks around and the cat is still there-
“- in the end. Can’t say I feel particularly drawn to Selûne myself but it was still interesting to speak with Lady Venalia about… AH! Excellent. Should be fine here, good chap, slow the horses I think I shall walk from here. Stretch the old legs a bit.”
Without quite realising, Lob slows the horses to a stop and watches as the cat continues to talk at him before suddenly leaping from the seat and strutting towards the Fort. He watches it walk away for a long moment before noticing the Gold coin sitting on the seat next to him.
Several hours later, after the welcome solitude of the road has once again allowed his mind to settle down, one burning question remains that he isn't quite able to shake for the rest of the day:
“...Was he wearing a backpack?”
