Part 10: We Can't Stop Here, This is Assassin Country

So this is Terra, huh? Can't say I'm impressed.

I'm quickly thrown against a nearby tree. Like I was traveling incredibly fast. I land on the ground and grip my head in pain.

Too much to ask that Rabies breaks their neck at this part, huh?

The pain radiates harshly with my heartbeat. Which to say the least -- was incredibly fast.

I lost track of time, but eventually it subsided. As I'm lucid again, I quickly examine my surroundings. It feels like everything is moving faster than normal. The swaying leaves look as if they're in a hurricane.

But my perception of time quickly returns to normal. That was odd. It's like when you look at a clock. Sometimes the second hand moves faster for a moment.

And when you play this game, ten minutes seems like six hours.

I take a few steps forward, but can't find any balance. I quickly stumble over, and brace myself on a tree. What's going on? It feels like I'm drugged...

Damnit Kila, I knew your creepy ass would roofie Rabies eventually!

I fall to my knees, embracing the tree. Otherwise I'd be eating a face full of grass. I start to wonder just where I've ended up.

But I can only think of where I'm -not-. Something tells me I'm a long way from home. The anxiety of that fact completely overpowers me. Any semblance of curiosity I had was utterly destroyed.

I sulk in some sort of otherworldly homesickness. Here I am -- stuck on the soil of a foreign planet.

He said I'd be brought back in the event of trauma. Was this experience not traumatic enough? And what if something traumatic doesn't happen?

I could already post all the mental illnesses this game has given me, but at this point I'd basically be reciting the whole damn book.



Who will inevitably stumble upon Klace's gigantic stash of coke?

Those weren't the types of things I -wanted- to see. But it was definitely my -right- to see them. I feel like this "Ark" has robbed me blind of my future.

What if I don't want this power? I guess I don't even have a say in the matter. I'm simply forced to help, against all of my wishes.

What else would I be forced to do...? Will I ever truly be myself again?

Questions I'm sure would be racing through our minds if Rabies had enough of a personality to be memorable.



Look, it's Leomon!



Also, I somehow accidentally brought up the stat menu in-between dialogue boxes! I should note that there is not one single battle in this game, so this never becomes relevant. Also, note the HP and MP values for Rabies. Har har har.



Goddamn, did Tetsuya Nomura guest-draw this guy? He's got a belt problem.

He kneels down beside me and wraps an arm around me. He rests a hand under my arm and lifts me up slowly.

It's very easy to lose your way...Especially when others want to use you. They put their own path before your own.

It's also very easy to lose your way when you're hurled head-first into another world.

He holds me up, and I limp alongside him. Who is he? Is this the guy that was conducting the ritual? If so, I don't sense any nefarious intent. He seems very wise...He's put me at ease. Just like the man in the Ark.

And for no reason whatsoever, Rabies trusts this guy. A guy that he suspects is the one who kidnapped him in the first place. Did Furry Outsider just award his 'power' to the person with the weakest survival instinct?



I've read over this sentence ten times and I have no idea what the fuck he's trying to say. Is he saying their desperation around performing the ritual? Despair is contagious? What? This is one of the lines in this game that is just so outright confusing and weird that I can't bring myself to get mad at it.

If that is so, then I apologize. Your burdens should be yours alone to carry.

The journey to bring you to Terra...It was not an easy one to complete. It was filled with failure and compromise.

How do you compromise doing a summoning ritual?

Terra...? Is that where I am?

Konrad. It worked.



Anyone else noticing how all these 'intro' pics have the characters in pretty much the same pose?

I know this is the one.

And how do you know that, Endymion?

I can feel it. Just trust me.

How does he know? This is the thing: Rabies has had zero character development. Besides them having no actual lines of dialogue, we've been given no hints what he looks like, either. I used the gear I found in the game files because I could use literally any inanimate object to represent Rabies' thoughts. Hell, I could use a picture of Tim Allen and it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

Alright, I'll play along.

King Velasquez will be very pleased.

I feel like I'm finally able to stand on my own. I gently push aside this Endymion -- in a polite manner.

I explain my situation. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know who they are. Or who this "King" is.

Rabies is taking being kidnapped pretty well.

Very well. You deserve an explanation. At least the best as I am able to provide.

This is Terra. It's a peaceful world. In fact, we haven't had war for centuries.

What about the regular food riots? You know, what with the established shortages and all?

This is thanks to The Immortal King. He's ensured that Terra is a utopia...

A utopia that suffers from famine.



Plair's supposed to be a bad guy, but darnit Klace will try his best to make his views seem rational under the circumstances.

Back it up a second...Immortal King?

Yeah. He got lucky. Managed to find a world that suits him. It's a complicated thing, the flow of time. Immortality isn't something I'd want. But I guess it works for him. He's able to get lots of stuff done.

Every world experiences time differently. Many words [sic] are in sync, or very close. But if you find that one special world? The one where time's flow differs vastly? Well, let's put it this way. You might be lucky enough to live forever. Or you'd shrivel and die of old age...

Our King Velasquez? He found Terra. A world where time flows very slowly to him. This is why he's been able to live so long.

Watch your back, Zyborne Clock, there's a new sheriff of dumb time shit in town.

Well, I think Endy is trying to say...It's a good thing you're not dead right now. Your world must flow similarly to Terra.

Boy Rabies survived and I have to keep playing this shitty game, lucky me!

But, I guess it's a trade off. Some people might enjoy a shorter life. Especially on Terra -- where it's safe.

It's true. A day of happiness could be desirable. Over a life of war on another world, I mean. World travel if very risky in that regard. Fortunately for you, you're safe. Along with those that came instead of you.

Instead of me...?



I'm starting to question the competency of you two.



But not just every day. We had to do it at the same time, as well.

Same time every day, huh? That sounds familiar.

Yep! Turns out the Midnight Deaths were caused by these two screwing up the ritual. A ritual that still hasn't been explained at all.

Don't worry. The others are safe. We gave them to one of the local Lords. He helped them immigrate to Terra properly.

Well, let's not jump to conclusions. That Lord is known as Lord Plair. He has an open hatred for immigrants. So, we really cant speak for their safety. He could've killed them for all we know.

This is fucking hilarious.

Don't worry, we handed off the immigrants to a local lord.

Which is to say we handed them off to Glorthax, Flayer of Foreigners and Stabber of Refugees. Whoops!





So, you two are assassins, right? You are aware of what assassins do, right?



Like ASSASSINATING A POLITICAL THREAT.

Well, I guess you'd call it "dirty work".

Though no one is supposed to know that. You shouldn't speak so openly, Konrad.

It seems that he's annoyed.

Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We're the Assassin's Guild. We have two members. Student and teacher.

This is really starting to sound like you're both really shitty knockoff Sith.



Okay, do you two just literally not know what 'assassinate' means? Do you think it means leaving a pair of severed asses under Plair's bedsheet as a warning or something?

Terra isn't ready for a new ruler just yet. They'd throw the world into disarray.



FOR GOD'S SAKE, YOU HAVE KNIVES. YOU HAVE POISON.



Biting social commentary via two assassins talking about how they don't assassinate anybody.



Bad at their job, sure.

Either way, I've heard enough about politics for now. I had a huge list of questions that needed answering. For example -- why was I brought here...?

Oh, you still have questions?

And we still have a long way to go. It seems like these benefit one another. Follow us. We'll explain on the way. If the walking is too much, let me know. We can always stop to rest if you need it.

You'll carry Rabies and you'll like it.



Speaking of which, this game has ten chapters. We're only just starting!



And Rabies just goes along with the guys that, once again, kidnapped him.

Why do they want to teach me about politics...? I can't believe that I was brought here for that.

They must be only thinking from their angle. It makes sense -- they did go through a lot to get me. But now it's -my- turn for answers.

Just keep up the pace. Walking and talking will have to do. We're on a strict schedule, you know. King Velasquez wants you by nightfall. That is, on the day the ritual succeeds.

I get this feeling that they don't care. I don't think they want to know the "what". I think they want to know the "why"...

I think the question is "who". Like a rational, non-Rabies person in this scenario would be going something like WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO ASSHOLES GET AWAY FROM ME

Isn't that right?

I nod furiously.



I dunno. This planet apparently doesn't have it's shit together in terms of food supply. Maybe Rabies is a secret farmer?

Like, a farmer that somehow functions without a brain?



You'd think his orders would be something to the effect of "here's a potion to knock out the The Savior when you nab them, because they are NOT gonna be happy about being snatched."



Not that Rabies has DONE anything important, the game just says they're important.

Velasquez says "history repeats itself". One day he'll agree -- another he won't. He flip-flops on a semi-daily basis. But I guess when you're as old as him...You can start to see a pattern in things.

But there's no pattern with you. He's never sought help from another world. I guess you're an unknown variant. But I guess sometimes that's what we need.

Correct. You're a mystery to me, too. He didn't tell us what power you hold. Nor what you would be saving us from.

Rabies can wind back time or something, and I guess save Terra from Tiger Trump?



Velasquez trusts you with all the juicy intel, huh?

I'm a savior...? That's outrageous. I couldn't even do anything to save Klace.

Hey, savior. Did you catch the hint? Endymion wants to know what makes you tick. He wants to know why you're so special.

I mean, we did dedicate our lives to you. We deserve to know the reason why.

They what? Did doing the ritual make them swear life debts to me or something?

Konrad, don't be so demanding. And don't read into my words like that.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Huh. I guess we're both on the same page. We're both on quests and don't know the reason why. We both know I'm "The Savior", but nothing else. I guess I'd have to get answers from this "King".

I'm not sure they know about The Ark, though. Is Konrad hinting that I should tell them my power? It might not be a bad idea to gain their--





I know Rabies technically doesn't talk, but this makes it seems like Endymion just straight up read his mind.



Maybe these two just naturally trust anyone with dreadlocks.

You're here for a noble cause. That is something I can guarantee. And that is all I need to know. Do you have anything else to ask? If it's something I can answer -- I will.



Also, there's no real way to tell them about your power without sounding completely insane. Hey guys, I can reload my save! What's that? Well, it's a way to record your progress in a video game? What's a video game? Well...



All three of those statements are outright lies.

The majority of my questions were about Earth. For example -- what happened to Klace. And the rest, I would have to personally ask The King.



I just cannot get over how Rabies is just going along with this.

It shouldn't be much farther now. We're making good time.

Oh -- Endymion. The form. We should probably fill it out now.

Right.

Form...?

It's just a standard immigration form. Everybody new to Terra must fill it out. It helps keep track of numbers. But it also gauges your personality. It can help to find you a suitable job.

Not that you'll be needing a job. We know you won't be here permanently. But we can't give you any special treatment.

Didn't you two say the King needs to meet me right away? You'd think direct orders from Velasquez would kinda supercede standard bureaucratic protocol.



Couldn't you just fill it out with bullshit?



Again, all the more reason to just fill it out yourselves.

This is starting to feel more and more like Earth. Perhaps I'm not as homesick now as I was earlier.

Endymion reaches into his pockets and pulls out a paper. I then what I assume is a Terran writing utensil. After a few moments, he starts to write stuff down.



And don't you forget it!

Off to a good start. We know your name. For the rest -- just answer honestly. Or not, I guess it's your choice.

Konrad looks at me and smirks.

I know it seems silly, but laws are laws. And it also beats an awkward silence. Especially since we're a long way from town.



Tune in next time for filling out Form A-10b, Section 4! Fun!