Sirona awoke with a start, almost screaming as she woke. She surveyed her surroundings carefully.
She had fallen asleep on Spyro's back, being carried a part of the walk. The Leshen walked slowly next to Spyro.
Avenger walked in front, the black symbol on the back of his hooded red overcoat having been torn in three large gashes.
Something about the unrecognizable symbol still sent a chill down her spine.
They arrived at a door, made of the same ruin stone around them. Avenger put his ear on the door, and signaled for the group to step back.
"Sounds like a battle of the other side. Ready yourselves."
He said as he summoned his crimson flame sword. He backed up amd kicked the door open, flipping his sword as he entered.
Avenger reeled at the scene. A man of dark coloration fought against a group of five Soldier Golems, his riot shotgun tearing though the soft ruin stone.
"Ulysses?!"
The man gave a sparing glance, before returning his attention to the Soldiers before him. He blasted another away with a pull of the trigger, before reeling as a crimson sword impaled his next target.
Avenger reappeared, retrieving his crimson sword and dispatching another Golem with a spinning slash.
"Courier?"
The man asked in a deep voice as he shot another Golem. Avenger cut two of the Golems in half in one swing, a confident and happy smile on his face.
"The one and only!"
The man gave a grunt as he flipped his riot shotgun onto the barrel and bashed in a Golems head with the butt of the firearm.
"Glad to see guns work on these things! That means I get to use this!"
Avenger withdrew a large revolver and blasted a Golems torso away with a loud boom.
The man glanced at the hand cannon as Avenger went haywire with it, downing Golems left and right.
The duo's battle didn't seem like a fight at all, more like an intricate dance between equals, measuring each others power and skill, and trying to out preform one another.
Avenger tossed his crimson sword upward a bit, before cocking back and launching the weapon onto the chest of an oncoming Golem.
Avenger turned on his heel, blasting away the head of a Golem that was sneaking up behind the other man.
The other man returned the favor by pointing his shotgun at Avenger.
"Duck."
Avenger crouched, covering his head with his hands. The man shot the last Golem standing to pieces with three consecutive blasts.
Avenger rose from his crouch, looking at both the broken rocks of the Golem and the man a few times before wagging his index finger with a chuckle and grin.
The three bystanders simply looked on in amazement, having witnessed two human men take down ten Soldier Golems with strange weapons.
The Leshen made the mistake of creaking in confusion.
The dark colored man raised his riot shotgun at the Leshen, but before any shots were fired, Avenger grabbed the gun from the man's hands.
"Ulysses no! They're friendly, it's alright."
The man gave a look before sighing and walking the other way. Avenger gave an apology nod to the Leshen before chasing after the other man.
"Ulysses wait!"
The three gave each other confused looks. Sirona managed to dispel the tension with a few words.
"I thought humans were extinct?"
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Avenger ran up beside the other man, named Ulysses, and began to speak.
"Ulysses, are you alright?"
Ulysses faced Avenger, getting in his face. Thankfully no spit flew onto Avenger's face thanks to the face mask Ulysses wore.
"Where am I Courier? You have one chance to explain."
Avenger raises his hands in a submissive/defeat gesture.
"Sure, but first, promise not to shoot my friends."
Ulysses rolled his eyes and leaned back from the intimidation position. He crossed his arms and gestured to lead the way with his head.
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"Hey guys! We're back."
Spyro turned his head to the sound of Avenger jogging up with the Ulysses in tow.
He stopped abruptly, with Ulysses nearly coliding with him. Ulysses sighed before moving past Avenger.
"Okay, I know what happened now."
Spyro brushed away a piece of the dead Golems as he gave his full attention.
"What is it?"
Spyro asked. Avenger pointed upwards, and Spyro followed the path.
Above them the air shimmered and shifted in an orb shape, seemingly changing directions with the slightest sound or draft.
Spyro returned his look to Avenger, who handed Ulysses his riot shotgun before walking directly under the shimmering air.
"That, is a tear in the dimensional fabric. It's healing up now, but it was definitely the reason you were transported here, Ulysses."
Spyro finally observed the man better now, taking in the man's full outfit and form.
He was a man roughly five feet ten inches tall, the same height as Avenger, but still smaller than the Leshen and Spyro. He wore a black sleeveless duster that bore a downwards facing variation of the American flag on the back, and a pair of brown pants. He also wore a strange breathing mask, and wore his hair in braids.
"So where am I?"
Ulysses asked. Avenger diverted his attention from the shimmering air, and locked his crimson eyes with Ulysses dark brown ones.
"You are in a different world. Where you are is the Dragon Realms, where humans went extinct and use of magic and the Elements is common. More common than guns or science."
Avenger pointed to the Leshen.
"He was also transported here from another world, one where nature can produce creatures like him naturally. You're in the same boat here."
Ulysses took a moment to process the situation before nodding. Avenger took the riot shotgun from his shoulder, handing it back to Ulysses by the strap.
Ulysses slung the gun over his shoulder, giving looks to the two other creatures, Spyro and Sirona.
"So, I suppose introductions are in order."
Avenger nodded, looking back at the rest of the group.
"Stop for the night?"
The Leshen creaked in agreement, Spyro shrugged, and Sirona made and indifferent noise.
"I guess that's a yes?"
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Avenger set down the metal pole he procured specifically to stoke the fire, before starting the introductions.
The group had stayed mostly silent, as Ulysses gave off a strange ancient aura, similar to the Leshen, but different.
But Avenger pinpointed the difference quickly. The Leshen's ancient aura was from a very long life, while Ulysses' ancient aura was from the ancient ruins that he traveled that had rubbed off on him.
"So, Ulysses, this is Spyro, his daughter Sirona, and you've already met the Leshen. No idea if he has a name."
Ulysses gave a greeting hum and a nod of the head. The Leshen creaked quietly in response.
"So, want to explain that gun? Never seen one like it."
Avenger pulled the large black revolver from his back belt, showing off the weapon.
It was a large revolver, the barrel being five point seven inches in length and four inches wide facing downward. The barrel was a relatively thin metal slab, with long slots across the top, and a slot in the middle of the side of the barrel.
"This thing? This is an RSH-12 Assault Revolver. Russian, but damn good at killing things."
Avenger said as he flipped out the cylinder, reloading the five slots for bullets and swinging the cylinder back in.
"Unique things about it. Bullet doesn't fire from the top, instead it fires from the bottom, reduces some recoil, but still kicks like a mule."
Avenger handed the large weapon to Ulysses, who inspected it with interest. The rest of the group also eyed the weapon, clearly curious.
Avenger notices the stares.
"Ah, right. You guys have never seen a gun before. Ulysses, wanna help me on this one?"
Ulysses handed the revolver back to Avenger, resting his elbow on his knee.
"Yes. Let it be a cautionary tale on how destructive humanity can be if left to govern themselves."
Avenger rolled his eyes, and began to explain.
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"So the hammer thing hits the chamber, and the bullet flies out of the barrel?"
Sirona asked. Avenger and Ulysses nodded. Avenger began to put his revolver back together, as they had disassembled it to explain better.
"Yes. These were the preferred weapon of most humans from my world."
Ulysses said. Spyro tilted his head in confusion.
"I thought there was only one human world?"
Avenger shook his head as he clicked the cylinder back into place. Ulysses also paid attention, as it meant a better understanding of the dimensional travel Avenger spoke of.
"No. My world is a timeline that was the true path of my world. Ulysses' world is a branch of the timeline, another world altogether. His world is one where humans destroyed the world and a majority of themselves. My world is one where the toubles of Ulysses' world didn't lead to the destruction of humanity."
Spyro nodded. This world travel was getting more complicated by the minute.
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Sorry for the sporadic upload times, I've been drawn back in by Fallout: New Vegas. CAN YOU TELL YET?!
The RSH-12 Assault Revolver is a mod for Fallout 4. Check it out to judge just how baddass the thing is.
Who can guess who the Pale Lady in Sirona's dream was? I don't have prizes or anything, but I will congratulate you!
Until next time!