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TO Rewrite: B3 — 17. To Persia
🕑 Added 2024-11-05 22:19:09 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Rachel Park (Our Lunar Hare!)
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Rachel stilled her thumping heart against the biting chill at the mountain’s foot, watching heavy snowflakes fall around her against the pine backdrop, the ice sticking to her clothes and fluttering against her ears. Beside her Grace came to a stop atop Jim, the horse snorting against the cold.
The cowgirl swung down from her horse, tipping her hat back and offering the tall man atop her horse a wide grin.
“Now, I reckon that wasn’t too rough a ride, was it, big fella?” She winked, giving his arm a playful squeeze before offering an extended hand to the legendary folk hero. “Though, if ya got any issues keepin’ stable and need to reach for somethin’ a little higher next time, just let me know—my waist ain’t the only place to grab on if I’m too short for ya.”
The towering man looked down at her offered hand, clearly amused but slightly hesitant, his strong features softened by a growing smile. He chuckled, taking her hand with a smoothness that matched Grace’s own confidence.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with a raised eyebrow, obviously interested. “Although, I don’t think Jim here would let me get too comfortable behind you, Señorita.”
“Bah! You know, a good cowboy always makes sure their passengers stay on for the whole ride. Didn’t take you for the kind to wobble. I can keep ya steady, sweetie.”
El Santo’s frame shook with silent laughter, his deep voice rumbling in the cold air. “Señorita, you are a wild tornado, yet it was as steady as any man could hope for. But I must say, riding behind you is a unique experience, one I won’t soon forget.”
Grace raised a brow, her grin widening as she leaned in just a bit, the playful spark in her eyes intensifying. “Well, ya better hang on tighter next time, honey. Ain’t nothing worse than a big fella takin’ a tumble in front of a lady. Embarrassin’, don’tcha think?”
Rachel couldn’t get into the banter, her ears scanning the mountainside, looking for any signs of human activity. Green was ahead of them, radio held against her mouth, her hot breath visible, busy coordinating over the radio with Gray, positioned further up the slope.
Steaming out a puff of air, Rachel stuffed her hands into her pockets, restraining the bitter taste on her tongue. A shiver ran down her spine, but not from the blizzard.
I don’t want to enjoy a fight or pick apart an opponent’s strategy… I’m cold. I can see myself clearer when I’m like this… I’m cruel. Merciless. Deep down, I feel something dark growing when things like this happen. The worst part is…I feel more at home. I don’t want Scarlet to see this side of me… Is that the real reason I sent her with Astra? It was a factor…
Turning inward, she reached out to Older Nia, feeling the resonance growing faint. Are we at our limit? I can feel you being tugged toward me.
Nia’s smooth, stabilizing voice immediately followed, “You can go a bit further, but it’s a stretch. And by the way, the Cerberus Sisters are starting to wake up. Thought you’d like to know. Nike went back to sleep… It looks like Maria is rousing. I’ll fill her in and be by your side soon.”
Rachel forced a smirk, looking up the snowy ascent as her ears twitched, hearing faint voices and the sounds of animals burrowing into any shelter they could find. Yet, it didn’t last long, her mouth tightening as the faint, lingering scent of ash crossed her nose, taking her mind back to the scene of her brother’s charred body.
Well, at least there is a silver lining… Tell them I have a playmate for them when they take off their sleeping masks.
Her ears shifted to the town, in the direction Scarlet was in. She was currently arguing with Astra over heading east out of town for some mysterious purpose. Rachel’s fingers clenched around the key, stashed in her pocket.
Careful, Scarlet… Your mother is still a threat. On that note, could this be a 4D chess play by Adele? No, I don’t feel misfortune going against me by their intertwining threads. Can I really trust that, though? Dammit. Don’t second-guess yourself.
Green turned, her voice sharp. “Gray’s group will find us; Red can track us down if you want to go straight there. Do you know the spot where Abu Hassan used the gate into Ali Baba’s fablelands.”
Grace tightened her hat, blue eyes vision becoming more serious after the banter with El Santo. “We’re talkin’ about imaginary things in this world? I’m not fully up to speed on the whole fable tale.”
Rachel shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t care. I know the general location is here and the key can guide us to it, but I may have a faster way to sniff it out. Meet the Cerberus Sisters: Thalia, Irida, and Aleka.”
As if on cue, three small, fiery puppies materialized from flickering black flames and crackling electricity. Thalia, the eldest, tilted her head with an air of confidence, scratching her ear while Irida, the middle sister, spun in excited circles, flicking snow in every direction. Aleka, the youngest, watched her middle sister with dull eyes as if just watching her wore her out.
Grace leaned down, laughing and cooing, “Well, ain’t y’all the cutest little fire pups! Who’s a fierce lil’ thing?”
Thalia rolled her eyes at Grace, licking a paw before glancing up at Rachel with a sly grin. “Nia told us there were souls around you didn’t care for, and I’m feeling rather frisky. If you’re going to do the killing, then snatching a few to throw into Hades sounds fun. Got anything interesting for us?”
Rachel smirked, shooting Grace a look. “They might look like cuddly fire puppies, but they’re vicious hellhounds, Marchionesses of Hell, no less.”
El Santo muttered a quick prayer under his breath, tracing a cross as he eyed the hell beasts with a wary glance. Rachel knelt down, pulled the key from her pocket, and held it out. Green’s mouth became a line but she moved closer, folding her arms.
“Think you three can track this scent to the nearest gate or is that too big of a task in your sealed state?” she asked with a smirk, knowing it would light a fire in their chests. “It should be a gateway into a fictitious realm.”
Irida was first to zip over, red flames trailing behind her. She went stiff as a board while sniffing at the key, then, in an instant, blurred into motion. In the next second, Green’s back was sliding across the snow, the narrow-eyed pup growling proudly atop her chest. Tail practically a fan, she sent waves of frenzied energy outward that would have paralyzed Rachel herself.
“Found one, Rach!” she barked, grinning toothily. “Don’t move, little hare! I’ve got—eh? Aleka… Wait, I found one? What’d I do wrong… It’s a speedy fable realm!”
Rachel sighed as Aleka promptly came over, nipped Irida’s neck, and pulled her off Green. Thalia tilted her head, blue flames rising with intrigue as she took a whiff of the key. “We’re after a specific one, Irida. Read between the lines… Mmm. There are multiple scents in the mountains. Are you looking for a Negative or Positive path?”
“Negative,” Rachel replied, watching Thalia’s eyes spark.
“Well, that’s too easy,” Thalia huffed. She gave her a challenging look, her puppy grin turning mischievous as her flames flared. “Aleka, keep Irida on point. They’ve tried to mask the trail with some kind of spiritual dispersion method.”
“Hear that, meathead?” the green flamed sister growled. “Don’t go chasing after the cleanest path.”
“Mhm! Mhm!” Irida jumped up and down, spinning in circles three times. “I’m not stupid. I’m just super excited! Oh, I bet I could beat you there, Aleka.”
The emerald pup’s eyes narrowed. “You could not.”
“Could do! Race you—already ahead!”
“Cheater…”
Rachel smirked as the pair became bullets in the snow, and their eldest sister gave her a side-long look. “I expect you to actually do some killing, Hare of Misfortune. It feels good to snag spirits and toss them to Hades. So, try to keep up.”
El Santo and Grace climbed back atop Jim, the broad-shouldered legend’s presence nearly dwarfing the horse, who snorted against the weight but stood steady. His hands closed around the cowgirl’s hips and she glanced back with a wink.
“Hold on a bit tighter, sweetie. We’re riding lightning!”
Rachel had already lurched forward, Green beside her, darting through the snow, trailing the fiery path left by the hellhounds. Aleka, Irida, and Thalia charged ahead like embers through the frost, their paws leaving a line of steam and hardened ground as they carved a super-heated route through the icy terrain.
The swirling mist gave the landscape an otherworldly quality, snow and steam mingling in the crisp air as Rachel followed close behind. As they ran, Nia materialized beside her, the Adult Bun’s feet touching down and leaping forward to keep pace with them—three long-eared women racing through the blizzard.
“Maria’s piecing together what happened with Nam,” Nia relayed. “The others will catch up soon, and Maria’s with them. She had a lot of curses for you that essentially boiled down to kick the shit out of whoever tried to blow my ass off.”
Typical Maria response, Rachel mumbled, her smile not touching her eyes. I want this handled fast. I don’t care if we need to use some of our more potent Lunar Energy. How are we doing?
The bun swiftly revealed their current total:
Nia’s Pools:
Pool 1: [Blood Moon (Unique; Selene) - 109%]
Pool 2: [Black Moon (Unique; Cerridwen) - 109%]
Pool 3: [Hell Moon: Yomi (Unique; Izanami) - 109%]
Pool 4: [Greater Moon of Abundance (Event) - 34%]
Pool 5: [Crimson Moon (Event) - 109%]
Rachel’s Pools:
Pool 1: [White Moon (Normal) - 107%]
Pool 2: [Greater Harvest Moon (Event) - 43%]
Hmm… Tom would want me to save the bigger ones for whatever awaits us behind the Crystal, but, right now… I want this finished. If I need to brute force my way through… If I need to show one of my trump cards… So be it.
The forest suddenly thinned, opening up to a wide, icy glade encircled by a frozen river. Snow lay thick across the ground, but at the center of the clearing was something unnatural—a perfect circle of untouched sand.
Rachel leaped over the icy water onto the grassy center, bending down beside the smug triplets. “The grains are still warm,” she muttered, scanning the golden grains, untouched by the winter wind. There was an air of mysticism around it, as though it belonged to another time and place entirely: likely [Divine Beast Empowerment - Seventh Sense] reacting to it.
Green jumped over it to join her, pressing a hand against the grains. “This is a Fable Gate,” she said, catching her breath as she took in the sight. “Gray and the others are close. I’d say we wait and stick to a plan—”
Rachel didn’t wait, striding forward as her hand reached into her pocket to retrieve the key. She felt the metal cool against her palm, steadying her as she faced the empty space before them. Snowflakes drifted down, but as she held the key aloft, an unseen force swept through the air, pushing the snow back as a dense mist began to gather around her.
Grace and El Santo landed beside Green, the cowgirl pulling up beside her as the mist swirled and condensed. “Damn, boss. Omen really does get into some wild shit!”
The fog stretched higher and wider until the outline of a massive blackened gate took shape, twisted and distorted, towering above them. Carved with intricate patterns reminiscent of Arabian architecture, it flared into being. The gate dispersed the snow as it pulsed with the heat of a desert in mid-day, ornate and etched with ancient symbols, guarded by two stone lions on either side. Rachel didn’t falter, her jaw tightening as Nia gave her a single glance.
“What if we meet daylight on the other side? I have the buns safely tucked into our soul, but you’re currently holding the Greater Harvest Moon Pool. We could lose all of it, with the White Moon I’ve converted.”
If it’s daytime, then it’s daytime. We deal with it when it comes.
Rachel stepped up to the gate, inserting the key without a moment’s hesitation as Green sighed and closed in. She turned the key. With a deep, resounding creak, the doors parted, and a gust of warm desert air rolled over them, bringing with it the rich scents of spices, dust, and sunbaked earth.
On the other side lay a world of golden sands stretching as far as the eye could see. Dusk creeped across the desert dunes, rising like mountains, and in the distance, Rachel could make out the faint outline of a walled city.
She grimaced as the giant fading sun hit her, immediately draining her Lunar Pool by four times the rate of Earth’s golden sphere. “Dammit…”
Her focus darted to Grace as the cowgirl noticed her reaction. The cowgirl jumped off Jim and went behind El Santo to a pack, opening a strap and pulling out a cream robe, bandana, and cowboy hat.
“I ain’t got one fit for them long ears, boss, but maybe this’ll help. I picked up this when doin’ my Legend Quest. Don’t ask me why they were sellin’ this in the market in my world but there do be a giant desert to the east in it. I, uh, think they call it a dishdasha? I used ‘em myself at one point. Woah!”
Rachel glanced at Nia, who smiled and accepted the items, which vanished in a pulse of white light as she absorbed them. “Thank you for the new fashion, Grace. I’ll be sure to reimburse you. Not exactly matching, but we do what we can. How does that feel, Major?” she asked as the outfit materialized on her in sparkling lunar rays, her one ear being wrapped in the bandana as two long socks covered the other.
El Santo whistled. “If all ladies could dress as swiftly as you. Ah, well, perhaps I won’t finish that,” he chuckled, getting a smirk from Grace.
“It works,” Rachel said, staying focused. “Thanks, Grace.”
Her ears refocused, feeling the drain much less after covering up in the sun-resistant gear, likely enchanted for it; they could probably get similar gear at the market.
She could hear bustling markets, tents and stalls gleaming in the falling sun, alive with the hum of people haggling and trading. Everyone spoke English, which probably meant the Seed was translating for them, as it did in Legend Quests.
Rocky outcrops dotted the landscape, casting long shadows over the sand, while jagged mountains lined the horizon like sentinels. Her target was somewhere in this world, and he wouldn’t be that far.
Rachel glanced back, catching Green’s surprise as she tossed the fable the key she’d obviously been salivating over. “It’s all yours. I’m going in,” she said, voice steely. “You follow with a separate angle. I want answers.”
Green’s eyes narrowed, catching the cold steel in her face. “Alright. You do what you have to—I get it.” She squared her shoulders. “I’ll find my own path and back you up from there. I’ve thought of an angle. Get the lay of the land and keep your wits sharp. As you probably concluded, we’ll cover more ground this way.”
Rachel gave a nod and exchanged a look. “I’ll keep my ears open for your voice. You do the same, and we can communicate any details we find.”
Grace’s lips curled into a grin, tipping her hat. “Which means we’re goin’ in rawdoggin’ it. I like the style, boss, and don’t ya worry about that cute tail of yours. I got your back, sugar. We’ll be hot on your tail.” She glanced over at El Santo, still settled firmly on Jim.
He chuckled, shifting his grip slightly on Jim’s saddle. “I don’t think I’ll forget this date anytime soon, Señorita. You have a way of making even a wild dash feel…memorable. You have her back, and I have yours.”
Grace winked at him, tipping her hat with a bit of flair. “Well, ain’t you sweet, darlin’? If you’re lucky, maybe I’ll give ya another round when this business is done.” She tilted her head toward her with a playful glint in her eye. “He’s just gotta make sure he holds on tighter—these hips won’t break—promise.”
Rachel snorted and shook her head. “You’re something, Grace. I like your humor… Now, let’s actually get to business.
Letting their banter carry the moment, she focused ahead, bracing herself as they stepped into the dusky expanse of Ali Baba’s fablelands. The warm air washed over her, a startling contrast to the cold mountain pass they’d just left behind.
The sun beat down, despite its distance and fading light, casting deep shadows along the dunes, and the soft rumble of activity from the marketplace reached her ears—a place that felt at once foreign and strangely familiar, as though they’d stepped into the heart of a story that had existed since time immemorial.
Rachel took a deep breath, letting the desert landscape envelop her senses, each detail standing out with almost surreal clarity. The arid air held a mix of scents: sharp and earthy with a tinge of distant spices, as if the marketplace from beyond the dunes had spilled fragments of its fragrance into the wilderness.
A subtle breeze stirred, dry as bone, rustling across her face and brushing against her new desert attire. She tightened her gloves, not that they needed it, while keeping the exposed parts of her face away from the fading sun. The worn leather of Nia’s work molded perfectly to her fingers, yet they were itching for combat.
The sand was unlike the soft, yielding snow she’d just left; it shifted unpredictably beneath her feet, warm and coarse, each grain sliding against the others like whispering voices against her brain.
Her boots sank slightly with every testing step, forcing her to adapt, finding a rhythm that melded balance and agility. She felt the sun’s fading heat pressing down, a constant reminder of this new realm’s harsh, unrelenting nature, but Grace’s gear was mitigating her loss by a significant amount as she analyzed how far she could push her body in this place.
She traced the horizon, taking in the golden stretches of desert, a palette of warm hues made vibrant by the descending sun. Shadows stretched long and jagged from the scattered rocks and sparse, twisted desert plants. The vast dunes rose like ancient giants, far larger than their Earth counterparts, carved by sharp winds that had swept through these lands from time memorial. The city in the distance, its towers like sentinels against the shifting sands. Then, Rachel tuned into the sound below—a subtle, almost inaudible hum.
Her ears picked up faint tremors resonating from deep below the sands, a shifting presence that seemed to coil and writhe beneath the surface. The rhythmic vibrations reminded her of tales of colossal creatures hiding in desert legends. Each shift was followed by a moment of stillness, as though the creature was lurking, observing before moving again.
She imagined massive scales brushing against one another, the weight of something ancient and powerful slumbering just beneath her feet, stirring with ominous intent.
Not my problem. There you are…
Her focus snapped to the distant trade road, unseen from their position, where a commotion disrupted the serene desert stillness. Bandits were attacking a caravan, figures darting in and out of the eviscerated guards with the precision of seasoned raiders. Soon the merchants and travelers would be struggling to defend themselves, the clash of metal and shouts of resistance echoing across the sands. The scene sparked Rachel’s intent—a place to start, and it wasn’t the only one.
She glanced back, watching as the misty gate faded, closing her only direct link to the world she’d left behind. It didn’t take her attention for long; the city was rife with criminal activity in the alleys or buildings.
“We’ve got work to do,” she said, summoning her hammer but not feeling the typical hot-blooded excitement as the other three joined her. Thalia and her sisters were looking in every direction, their menacing aura deepening. “Protect the caravan and keep the civilians safe. Leave the bandits to me—I need to find the right target. And stay sharp…something big is moving beneath the sands.”
Grace forced a laugh, her bravado masking a hint of unease. “Just as long as it ain’t a giant worm, boss. I’ve seen enough movies to know where that ends!”
El Santo chimed in with a wry grin, “Perhaps a colossal scorpion, or one of those monstrous desert spiders we have in Mexico?”
Grace shuddered, shaking her head. “Oh, hell no! You see a spider that size, we’re nuking it, boss! Ain’t no way I’m gettin’ close to that.”
By her feet, Thalia directed her sisters to the dune blocking their sight of the battle. “We’ll be watching. Give us a show.”
Rachel grunted. “Sure. And the thing in the sand isn’t our problem. Leave it be. Stay close but watch your backs—these sands hide more than one threat. We only have one target. We’re looking for their leader, or at least someone important to give us our next clue. If the forty thieves have taken over, their leaders will be bold. They won’t be hiding.”
With a final nod, she broke into a sprint across the sand, feeling Nia’s presence at her side. Her lunar power thrummed within her, slowly dying, yet her partner was feeding the White Moon through the diminishing Harvest Moon in order to keep her topped off.
She moved swiftly, finding her balance in the shifting terrain, her instincts honing in on the chaos ahead and [Lunar Grace] helping her maneuver.
Nia gave her a sidelong look, matching her pace. “Do you think Abu Hassan will be among the raiders?”
Rachel shook her head, her eyes narrowing as they neared the nearest dune that would allow her to take to the sky to reach the crying out people: real or not, they needed help.
Doubtful. If the forty thieves have truly taken over, then Abu Hassan’s men are now generals or captains. These men aren’t hiding; they want to be seen, to be feared. We’ll find out who’s pulling the strings soon enough.
As Rachel reached the dune's crest, [Mental Acceleration] brought the scene below to a crawl, the battle unraveling in vivid detail as [Strategic Mind] tracked everything.
She leaped into the air, [Lunar Grace] offering platforms that materialized just long enough for her to use before evaporating under the sun’s rays. Below, the desert erupted in chaos: bandits swarmed the caravan, clashing with frightened guards, as desperate shouts rang out, mingling with the harsh clang of metal.
Behind her, Grace whooped, urging Jim over the dune in a powerful bound. In one fluid motion, Grace sprang off her horse mid-air, summoning a gleaming rifle, the orange sun glinting off its barrel. “Well, ain’t this a perfect sunset shootout!” she shouted, her voice as steady as her aim.
Three shots rang out, bullets ricocheting with pinpoint accuracy, disarming five bandits and sending their weapons clattering harmlessly to the sand. The astonished El Santo clung to Jim, now riding solo, as they charged forward, the folk hero ready to dive into the fray and laughing with surprised glee.
“¡Amigos, stand strong!” he roared, his voice like thunder rolling over the sands. “Evil may ride hard, but courage rides faster! We protect the weak and shield the innocent—today, these bandits will learn that we do not yield to fear!”
He raised one fist high, his presence radiating a beacon of hope as his words radiated as if a megaphone, pulling all eyes. “Stay close! Stand as one, for together, no force of darkness can break us!”
Rachel focused downward, summoning her hammer as she plunged from the sky, a meteor streaking through the air, feeling the rush of wind whip her desert robes and tug at the bandana over her ears.
She hit the ground with resounding force, her hammer connecting with the road, activating the kinetic blast. The impact sent a shockwave pulsing outward that tore into the compact stone road, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that swept through the battlefield like a sandstorm, blotting out the sun’s last rays.
Her clothes billowed around her as her feet found purchase in the midst of the chaos, her form silhouetted against the sun-drenched haze. Her eyes blazed, the darkness she’d kept buried slipping into focus.
She sprinted forward, her movements a blur of deadly precision. One bandit stumbled into her path, his wide eyes meeting hers as she bore down on him with relentless energy. In one swift motion, she grabbed his robes and tore them clean off, sending him reeling into a nearby comrade, who staggered back in stunned confusion.
Dust and shadow whirled around her, the faint lunar glow illuminating her in the semi-darkness like an apparition. The others froze, catching sight of her amid the swirling sand. Silence fell, punctuated only by the soft crackle of dissipating energy from her hammer, slung over her shoulder.
Nia touched down, gracefully landing beside her like a wraith. Rachel didn’t smile, her voice a low murmur beneath the tumult, her glowing eclipse eyes fixating on the man who had been giving orders, standing amidst his men. Time to get to work.
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