beyondthedoor | || slipping slipping slipping

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|| slipping slipping slipping

[He can see tiny silvery branches stretching through the darkness. He follows them, though he can't explain how, and shivers as the light blue leaves brush his cheeks. At last, his hands touch the core. He is engulfed by a warm light, though without the humming he sometimes dreams about, and then there is fire. And then there is nothing at all.

The strange dream is only a prelude to something stranger. Expecting to wake up at an inn, Luke's sprawled out on cold, hard ground. The natural grass here is dry and itchy, and the sky is overcast. It's also missing the band of fonstones that can be seen night and day in Auldrant.

He sits up quickly and looks around. To the north is a gathering of white mountains, shrouded by clouds. To the east is a swamp and a line of more mountains. Otherwise, the land is gentle and not too hilly. Feels like he's sitting on something--

-- oh, hell. It's his /replica/. It's his replica and they've both been kidnapped this time. Luke rolls off and frantically shakes his shoulders.]

Ugh. Wake up, you idiot!

[He can't tell underneath all that hair, but they are both certainly gifted with some new... features.]

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I hope so.

[Following Luke's example, Ember doublechecks his pockets - everything in order, but that's still not much. He'd been travelling light, after all.

When he turns around to look at those mountains, it's too quickly, and only a mostly-controlled flail of arms and wings keeps him from going over.]

...If we can manage to not fall over ourselves on the way there.

[Maybe it's a good thing no one's around. This is embarrassing and stupid, so at least it's only his original, just as bad off, that can see it.]

[Luke takes a step and nearly has the same reaction. He considers for a long, LONG moment. They need to cover some distance and quickly, but if they're constantly banging themselves up and rolling into ditches, this is going to take far too long.

His eyes narrow almost imperceptibly, and then he sticks out his hand.

He is not making eye contact. Pointedly avoiding it, in fact.]

[Blink. Blink blink. And then Ember clasps his hand into the offered one so that they can go side-by-side.]

Hey, at least we're not alone.

[You might be avoiding eye contact, Luke, but Ember is giving you a ridiculous grin whether you're looking at him or not. He gives that hand a tug - too gentle to risk pulling Luke over, but impatient anyway.]

Come on, if we're going to go, then we should go.

[He can feel his cheeks burning out of embarrassment. Ugh. And he doesn't have to look at Ember to know that his replica is enjoying every damn moment of this. Disgusting, really.]

Fine.

[He closes up-- not unexpected-- and starts forward, keeping an easy pace. It's a lot easier to walk forward when he has someone who can catch him, and someone he can catch. It's difficult to describe, but it's almost like... trust. Ember depends on him to be there, and he depends on Ember. That's just how it is.

When did things get to be this way?]

I don't see the Fonbelt anywhere, [he says after a while.] Even if we were way down south, it should still be visible.

[It /should/. That is, if they were still on Auldrant. Luke is beginning to have doubts.]

[And don't think that blush goes unnoticed, either, but he'll spare Luke's dignity and keep his chuckles to himself. Really, what's the big deal? Anyone passing will surely think they're brothers, and while they're a bit old for it it's not unheard of for brothers to do things like this.

Especially when it's to steady each other so they're not tripping over themselves everywhere. Ember doesn't take his eyes off where he's stepping until Luke speaks up - only then does he turn his head up at the sky.]

...You're right. The sky's clear. ...Looks kind of empty, really.

[Did that mean that there were no stars at night, too? Now that was a dark and lonely thought.]

We'll see what happens at night. [He knows that the stars aren't connected to the Fonbelt at all, but the thought that he might be looking at different moons tonight is still very unnerving. In fact, it's panic-inducing. What about Van? What about his fiancee? Everyone at home is depending on him-- on both of them-- to return.

But they're here. Wherever here is...]

... We might not be on Auldrant at all.

Yeah... The longer we're here, the more it seems like it.

[And Sync is going to wake up alone in that inn, thinking that his best friend has abandoned him... If he ever wakes up at all.

Ember's grip on Luke's hand tightens.]

Between the two of us, we've been just about everywhere, so one of us should have recognized something, right?

[But they don't, and everything feels strange, like he's caught up in a solid shell around his body, except there's nothing there.]

[Luke is silent at that last remark. Silent in agreement. He needs to keep a level head, because if he starts to panic, his replica might panic too. And panic never helped anyone.

But hyperresonance wouldn't send people to a different world, right? And so, he is deeply concerned about the people depending on him-- on both of them.

He squeezes Ember's hand in return, reminding him that he's there and reminding himself too.]

We'll find a way back. I don't care what world this is. We got here somehow, so logic serves that there's a way back.

[As they walk, the tall grass seems to part in a strange way up ahead. Closer inspection will reveal that it's a very old dirt road, though there are recent wagon tracks.]

Yeah...

[There's gotta be a way back. No matter what it is, they'll find it.

At the sight of the small road, Ember grins excitedly and tugs at Luke's hand again, pulling him over towards the wagon tracks.]

At least we know for sure that there's people here, now!

[That's definitely worth cheering up about, right? And who knows, maybe crazy wings are common and there will be someone to help them figure the things out. Or teach them to fly, even!]

Which way do you think they went?

[Luke perks up when he sees the wagon tracks.] H-- hey! I can see them, you don't have to drag me--

[Actually, this might be good. He kneels down so that he can inspect them further, letting go of his replica's hand to do so.]

The tracks on top were made a couple days ago, if not more recently. See the disturbed dirt? This would've settled or blown away.

[He carefully inches over toward the center of the road, looking for other tracks. He doesn't find the dinosaur-like prints he's expecting.]

Ember, over here. Do these look like the tracks of any service animal you've seen? Whatever they have pulling their wagon is big... and it has hooves. Like a cow.

[Now to figure out which way the hoof is facing. It's a little hard to tell on dry ground, and with total unfamiliarity...]

[After a bit of a wobble, he crouches down next to Luke. Ember runs a finger across one of the tracks for a moment before shaking his head.]

No, I don't recognize them either.

[If they're in a different world, though, wouldn't that make sense? Ember traces the hoofprint again.]

If they are like a cow, then I think they go this way?

[He inclines his head towards the path the road takes up towards the mountains.]

We might find people either way, but...

This road sees enough use that there should be a settlement at either end. Other than that, we don't know what to expect. [He sighs to himself. As exciting as getting out of the manor is, things like this... It's like being dumped in the middle of the desert without a map.

He gets to his feet-- carefully-- and offers his hand to help Ember up too.]

Then we'll head toward the mountains. Hopefully we'll find someone before we have to climb any. I didn't exactly pack for this.

Honestly, running into someone I don't share a face with will be plenty.

[Yup, he'll take that hand up, since he's still not all that used to the extra weight, yet.]

...Not that it's not a nice face, I mean...

[He rubs the back of his neck after letting go of Luke's hand.]

Still, if we stick to the road, it shouldn't be too hard... We might even find people who can point us the right way.

[He drops his hand from his neck and offers his hand to Luke again for walking. The road is easier than the hill, but it can't hurt, right?]

[Luke gives him a blank look.] You went from sounding self-deprecating to narcissistic in the span of three seconds.

[He glances at his replica, then the road. They still have some balance issues, so holding hands it is. No matter how sweaty theirs get.

Ugh, nasty.

He takes Ember's hand again, regardless.]

Yeah, let's go.

It's not narcissism if I'm complimenting you. ...I think.

[Whatever, not a big deal. More walking means more practice at balancing, which they're definitely going to need if they're here for any length of time at all. Which... Ember really hopes they aren't.]

The sooner we get going, the sooner we're out of here.

[And with another tug, he sets off down the road.]

[Unfortunately, they can only walk so fast. After an entire day of hoofing it, they can see the signs of a city engraved into the mountains, mostly by its flickering lights mirroring the stars. But it'll take many hours to get there, still. The sun begins to set and Luke suggests they make camp.

After everything is settled, they'll still be sleeping on hard ground, but at least they won't be cold. There's a campfire roaring and they've secured a nice couple of rocks to sit on.]

There haven't been any monsters, [he says, adjusting the spit made for the prairie chicken they caught.] I would've expected a bandit or two, but it's like everyone's hiding.

Yeah... It's weird. At least we were able to find some food, though.

[Ember is crouched and staring pretty shamelessly at that bird, yup. Walking all day, with extra weight to boot, makes for a hungry replica. Every so often, Ember flutters his wings slightly, as though he's not quite sure what to do with them.

He looks up towards the distant lights of city.]

There's gotta be people up there, though. So we're not totally alone here...

[Another fluff of his wings, before Ember sits back and folds them around himself against the cold. At least they're useful as blankets?]

I wonder if they look like us. [He glances back at his own wings, and tries not to dwell on how devouring chicken makes him feel like a cannibal.

Luke is focused on the food, but Ember might be able to detect something disturbing the grass beyond the halo of the fire. Like staggering footsteps.]

[It's not a surprise, really, that Luke doesn't notice the noise - he doesn't have nearly the combat training that his replica does, after all. In contrast to Luke's contented eating, Ember's head shoots up from his share of the food, looking in the direction of the sound - ]

Who's there!?

[A slight shadowy figure steps into the light. What's visible is tattered white robes and green hair, and then he faceplants right into the dirt.]

[Luke gets up quickly.]

Who the hell--

[The flash of green hair is all he has to see - sorry, Luke, your replica is abandoning you and the food for the moment to rush over to the fallen figure, luckily managing to not trip himself over his own wings on the way.]

Hey, are you okay?!

[He drops down beside the other boy up automatically, checking him for injuries before even looking at his face - it's not like there's any surprises to be found there, after all. That slight frame and shade of green hair could only belong to an Ion replica, which means that Ember's automatic reaction is that of an overprotective older brother, pulling the kid into his lap to check him over.]

[The boy groans in response. The front of his robes are open, showing deliberately-carved runes and lines across his stomach and chest. Painful as they may look, the real problem is the gash across his stomach, which looks to have been made by some kind of blade.

He looks up at Ember with unfocused eyes, then glances at his blood-covered right hand.]

Need something to stop... the bleeding. Gonna ruin your coat.

[It's Sync. That's the last person he expected to run into, considering his current state in Belkend, but it looks like things haven't much improved for him. Luke kneels beside his replica, looking grim.

Right. Concentrate. He knows First Aid, and while that's about the extent of his skill with healing, it's a lot better than letting Ember's best friend bleed out on top of him.]

Let me try something.

[He holds out his hand. Expecting to form a tiny fonic glyph around his fingertips, he instead ends up summoning a bright healing fire that wraps itself around Sync and knits up his wounds. There's a red line where it used to be, and not much else.

Luke is left wondering how the hell he did that. And panting, too, but that's the least of his problems.]

You're bleeding out, and you're worried about my coat?

[The familiarity kind of makes him want to laugh - besides, the coat's already kind of ruined, thanks to a pair of wings busting through it earlier. The fact that Sync hasn't gained a pile of feathers out of nowhere registers in the back of Ember's mind, but he's far too concerned with everything else to think about it.

Luke's healing earns the original a relieved look - "thanks for saving my best friend's guts" doesn't even begin to cover it - before Ember looks back down at the boy in his lap.]

Are you okay now? Can you sit up?

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