suitedreams: Rupert

[battling]

don't run me over (with a horse)

Comments

[agleam]

...Sorry, I think I misheard you. You were fighting what?

[battling]

's the moon.

[agleam]

I... Sorry, I don't mean to downplay the threat you just described, but - why the Moon, exactly...?

[battling]

Moon's evil.

[agleam]

...Okay then! No further questions.

[battling]

["I hate the moon soooo bad"]

Used my wish on that thing, still a lotta aftermath to clean up.

[agleam]

So that's why it became less life threatening... I'm glad, then.

[battling]

Still a huge pain.

[But at least none of the kids or old guys died this time.]

At least that work keeps me outta the jail cell.

[agleam]

How exactly did your wish work? Is the moon, like... Gone now, or is just less evil?

[battling]

It's less deadly. Won't be the reason any wizards turn to stone.

[The kids won't die to it.]

[agleam]

Is that what happened when you tried to fight it? Jeez!

[battling]

It didn't happen to me. Half of Central, East, West and all of South got wiped before the wish.

[agleam]

Half of... That's horrible!

[battling]

It's only the Sage's Wizards that are ever in danger. Four from each country. Nobody else goes fightin' it.

[Moon's Dangerous. They're hermits. They're weak. They don't think it matters. There's all sorts of reasons not to get involved.]

[agleam]

And they just... Find more once something happens to you guys?

[battling]

There's a ritual to summon replacements. You saw my right flank? Every Sage's Wizard has that mark on their body somewhere.

Means we gotta fight the moon.

[agleam]

...Well, that's stupid. I mean, not that I think nobody should take care of the problem if it's a big one, but - it should at least be voluntary.

[battling]

You really think somebody's gonna sign up to fight the moon willingly? Not when there's other people who have to do it.

[agleam]

...I'd hope that if there was a problem that big, someone would do something to take of it. But - I guess it doesn't always work out that way.

[frowns]

[battling]

Sounds like ya got some experience with that.

[agleam]

[after a second:]

Yeah, let's just say this isn't the first horrifying shadow monster I've had to deal with.

[battling]

Somethin' similar back home? How's it work?

[agleam]

[he pauses for a moment, frowning, before giving a little shrug.]

It had some sort of... I don't know if it was magic or something else about it, but it was able to take people's insecurities and fears and heighten them to the point that they'd give up entirely, and - then it would kill them. Apparently it was weaker when it first got created, but it's tied to a specific person, so... Every time he tried to run from it and lead it to a new place, it got stronger because of the people it took there.

[battling]

[That's what we in the business would like to call a Yikes.

Bradley, on the other hand, listens to this with calm interest.]

How long was it goin'?

[agleam]

[he takes a minute to think about it.]

He said it started when he was sixteen, so it'd be... Seven years, by now.