Nian

well, as their “leader” was monologuing, nian was able to read the room.

the guy with the purple hair turned sour at the woman’s latest comment. and it seemed, as though, that the boy behind them was the most clueless of them all. that, and the woman wasn’t apparently threatening, at all. nian had seen worse. nian had been worse.

“all i’m asking from you is the consumable you just got, and we’ll even escort you back to the main settlement, just in case you need a safe way back.”

so she snarled, even as her captor reluctantly backed his companion up. but the monarch – their monarch wasn’t able to proclaim her title without being just a tiny bit resourceful and knowledgable, after all. nian summoned a teleport crystal quicker than either participant of her hostage situation could react. “drop dead.”

with a tap of the crystal upon the ground, nian vanished, making her getaway safe and sound.

they couldn’t even handle a stupid bird alone?! there was no telling if she’d get the loot if she went out of range! damn these commoners, they should all go to hell if they were going to be so slow about it!

(and the only sane voice at the back of her mind went even if they were already there?)

to hell with sanity and the appropriate idea. better to teach these wimps a lesson in being efficient, with nian leaping out from the mountainside to tackle the bird’s back, grabbing onto its feathers and hounding it to agitation. with a claw sunk into its neck, she was wondering how close it was to its death. and she didn’t have to think twice to check its health bar, floating off to the side.

was it close? she suppose it was a little hard to tell, in between the flames, and she hadn’t noticed the phoenix reeling before her to prepare for a counter attack–

good. it appeared that she was unseen. and based off the conversation, nian considered their plan fast.

the hag in full tracksuit must’ve been their tank, or a last attacker. because she had her weapon ready – and it seemed like she should’ve started striking first, but her stare up towards the phoenix allowed the two boys that followed after her to catch up and get a hit in before she did.

so, eager, nian darted after the brat boy in supreme, on his heels for a strike at the bird right after he’d landed a hit in with his stick of a weapon. and behind her, she could hear the other disgrace in rags yelling out a, “hey! basuke, behind you!”

well, it didn’t matter if she was finally noticed. because so long as she got her strike in, she’d get something free out of the whole ordeal. instead, she but bounced away to a different part of the arena, leaving the trio of hooligans behind.

huh? what the heck was going on over there?

look. whoever those nobodies above me are, their stories are unimportant. disgusting for you to even think about considering their words. look to nian instead, who was but traveling the wastes in search of something a little more interesting to hunt for. and upon hearing about some degenerates about to head out to confront some boss or another – it didn’t matter to her, nor their party size! it was easy to gank them, not pvp wise, but on items. and given that all she had to do was ambush the field boss, that was exactly what she was intending to do.

so she lounged around a little more. wasn’t in her nature to pretend to do so as emperor, but this regular “silence and eavesdropping” tactic meant much for the woman’s capability to gather information. and if only she had her own ninja squad – that would’ve been apt! she wouldn’t need to have done so much on her own after all. but they say if you needed a job done well, do it yourself.

oh, where would the galteans be, if their rightful ruler hadn't been there to take care of them?

the question was rhetorical. for nian had no intention to leave her subjects in the dust. her arrival on the scene was quiet, cautious, unprecedented. it hadn't been voluntary in the slightest.

no, her presence was only necessary.

there'd been some requests about everything and anything. sneaking supplies in, errand work of documents and deeds, scouring some refugee's homes for one piece of paperwork or another. they would've been ideal for stealing.

the monster took a different route, instead.

it was in one of the isolated districts in lower ladonia that the beast had found herself prowling about. a small hand grabbed to her uniform -- disgusting, the king would have found it, had she noticed the boy not even ten years of age by her side. the tug he drew to pull her away was also of no use, for the weight and might of steel against concrete was much to bear for a kid of his stature, his uncertainty.

where nian was standing, she'd cornered a patrol of ladonian guards, their backs against a brick wall, black metal arms sunk horizontally across the exit to their salvation.

"and you'll leave the people alone, won't you?"

the tyrant only drew a sneer, a trace of white against a shadowed face, her quarry locked in trembling and afraid.

"this is a decree from your royal highness. the city benefits from their presence, unlike you mucks who siphon off the royal treasury to fulfill a deed out of xenophobia. and for--what--purpose?"

her steel claw scratched out mortar, not even giving the victims a chance to respond. and still, the boy tugged, incessant, confused and curious.

"hey, miss...? what's... going on here...?"

before the king got to move for a dive towards what remained of cerberus, the false king shifted from her position, taking flight to bury her blade down onto the canine. and instantly it shattered, health bar draining empty. only an explosion would mark its death, the players preoccupied with matters elsewhere.

for example, nian. and the fact that the kill got stolen from the beast was more than insulting to his majesty.

"tch."

an audible retort. the emperor wasn't obligated to shoot back niceties at the commoner, much less grace them with anything further than a look. still foul-mannered, still righteous, nian turned from facing ruler, the fragments of the hound they'd defeated still coalescing in mid-air, and started on her way out the cavern. her jet weapons only swayed in her movements, fingers clenched tight on mechanical arms.

gods knew she could've taken on the beast and the minions on her own, had the opportunity for it arose.

nian hadn't seen anything from the sneaking hound, two heads announcing its roar. had the emperor noticed its third, it was when it struck the floor, disintegrating into pieces with only a stub left upon where the head once was. and the king moved fast; enough to trace across the arena in one running start, leap high enough at the end of her dash to strike at cerberus -- but a miscalculation, damn cardinal, had sent her trajectory awry.

she slid through air. claw gash skating across the dogs' neck, though only the stroke across the last had connected. and in her tumble-landing, nian rolled over to her front towards the ground, claw out to hold her steady, trying to see if she'd swept clean the beast. but only one of its heads had shattered, and the remaining center seemed to have wanted a chat with her.

its ruler wasn't going to have a word from its maw. where once was the player now rested a shadow of the figure, traces of long black hair falling in tandem with her leap backwards as the dog dove in for a gnash, empty.

perhaps, if nian the social aptitude of a human being, she might've thought twice about if chi's words had been directed towards her, that bastard of a tyrant. instead, her attention focused on the writhing hound in her metal jaws, she reached out to give the dog another smash to the ground. cheekbone met heated rock, the opponent's tongue lolling out as it whimpered despite its ferocious appearance. what was left of its form fell apart as quickly as the emperor had dispatched of it.

to ready herself, she drew her fist back upwards, tight.

nothing else came to pass the two in the next few seconds. and the king lowered her guard physically, a short exhale released through nostrils. her steps thereafter lead her further into the cavern, wordless to the mongrel that no doubt would be dogging her step. would it be that the royal be over taken once more, and in chibai's show of force, only drop their mark to half of its healthbar.

an attack that would be in tragedy. nian sneered thinking about that ruined sight.

awful. the moment he took the brunt of the damage, it became more than just profits. somehow, it pivoted to the life-and-death spiel that had plagued the land since forever. pig headed fools just love the ilk of their kin, she supposed.

no rest for the wicked. the point of an emperor was to lead his subjects to victory and -- no love for the land she was sent to save, but -- there would be no subjects left entitled to her respect had they been wiped out before she could grace their presence. as stupid as they were to have gone out in a manner of different ways, like boars.

level nine was beneath her. as she'd expected. but just the same, with quick thinking, nian had figured her own energy pools depleted likely meant the same to her associate. and that spelled trouble, despite her eye roll watching his show. the emperor had stepped out of the warpath of the man's axe, readied but unmoved. only at his warning did his majesty shift into action.

three finger. thumb, index, middle. though her form shot towards a single boar, her loose grasp ensured that the opponent had eyes on the one that truly mattered -- her -- and that lob of its measly form afterwards bought time for rationale. her digits almost punched the lights out the menu that she called open, pressure threatening to break cardinal's interface. and the swing towards the daft in her vicinity could've been construed as an attack, had it not also sent a blue block his way.

a teleport crystal. the king hissed, annoyance coming to a boil.

"take a hike as you see fit. you couldn't afford to have your ashes stuffed in those coffers had you preferred."

pretty? the word near made her skin crawl. where the stranger couldn't see, nian practically balked at that response. just the same with the comment afterwards -- but it was better that than pretty.

elegant would've been the better choice there.

"But, ah, we're gonna have a problem if you don't wanna work with me on this,"

"the same could be said for you," the royal touted back, glare shot from over her shoulder.

"See, you're pretty and all,"

(purposeful?)

"but pretty don't pay my damn bills or put food in my belly. So, why don't the two of us cooperate and kill as much as we can, and I'll split the profits with you down the middle?"

and his majesty only found herself with narrowed eyes. from what little she could tell of the tattler, the strength he wielded was immense -- axe swung with great might, its edge cutting loose upon the stampede that drew his way. the deal...

... was off the moment she noticed that his attacks had barely done enough to even push the boars into the green. pretty, he'd said -- pretty awful was how heaven's chosen thought of him, and pretty was all the man even had, given his all talk and little bite.

and in her benevolence, the emperor darted behind the boars. a low punch towards the ground created enough of a light seismic to rattle their opponents, and so too when the boar that had dodged out of harms way came charging back towards that weakling, nian was all but too eager to slip past his form. an open palm, harsh cold metal halting the rush of that once-evader, and god's favoured turned towards the useless, ruby eyes shot back onto crimson.

crimson.

her eyes narrowed once again.

a crack upon the boar in her claws. with a crunch, like teeth sinking into prey, the mob died struggling in her arms.

never mind the wink and the escort talk shot her way. even the hopeless could rise to formidability given enough hard work and effort -- despite only the highest of echelons reserved for the righteous, by birthright. nian folded her steel arms. "mighty bold for a commoner like you to dabble in perjury without an inch of col to your name. and that is not to your benefit, fool."

she opened a palm as she spoke. "in the same vein of benevolence, then. 'co-operation', in the name of profits." her index then extended. "on one condition."

"mongrel. state your level."

"Oooooh noyadon't,"

oh great. who in the world was this extra?

it hadn't even registered to nian that the labyrinth would want to keep itself shut, the moment she heard that creaking of the doors. and the king whirled around, ears prickled, tuned to the sound of a human voice.

a commoner.

"Hey, I don't know if you noticed, but I was here first."

lanky. devious. cutting edge. had the weapon not been strapped to the random nuisance that had appeared, the emperor might've let the oddity slip. because then there would be something to marvel at, upon her notice. but no -- it was always mongrels somehow dogging her steps as she wandered through the castle, wasn't it?

and no, the king hadn't noticed the nameless figure as she wandered in, either, thank you very much.

she sneered, looking over her shoulder. benevolence was one thing. but there was nothing the lowlife could offer the emperor that he did not already have, granted heaven's gifts upon his arrival, he would need for nothing more than what he could obtain on his own. god's hand. even in his observation, surveying the quarry that awaited them, nian was already removing the limiters on her weapon -- a lock flipped here, a screw unwound there.

"So, provided you don't slow me down... Whaddya say?"

a growl, and the woman got into a readied stance, catching a group of boars finally darting her way. her metal fingers extended outwards, a flex in a wave. "his majesty needs not your permission."

one slam of her nails into faux grass on solid ground. what enemies she could catch in her strike were eliminated.

ah. even less impressive was how the undaunted liar had managed to work her way inside, only to have failed her enemies' decimation upon the first hit. and that terrible noise of a commoner not knowing what she was getting into -- the sight was almost enough to move the emperor to empty his stomach.

but a king must do what needed to be done. if not on his subject's behalf, then for himself and the future he would build.

so nian lumbered through the entryway, claws tightened into a fist. and those giant metal obelisks charged into the fray with nothing but recklessness behind them, the lord a searing wind of heat and crimson. one hearty punch to a hound unkilled, and the tyrant swung around in a lash, metal fingers sharp to rend the other two into nothingness. and the last of the group, for the time being, came from a cavernous opening overhead -- which stopped the emperor none. she whipped around to the side of its growl, and the beast mimicked it in turn, reaching out to grab it and slam its miserable form into the floor.

ah?

and after all of that, to deny the majesty of the emperor herself -- the king would growl, barely giving the other a look over. chi was too good of a title for the mongrel -- chibai was more like it, nian decided. and the added commentary -- "an attitude like that will get you nowhere," was what she snarled under her breath. there was no saving those who didn't want to be saved, the king decided. her steps only hastened in turn.

for what good was there walking with one who did not revere her presence? his majesty did not need to have pitied the forsaken, after all. her hand extended was heaven's gift to the forgotten. it was not her fault that the ungrateful turn up their noses to salvation. foolish. nian let out a small 'tch' as she continued down the road.

despite the trek seemingly taking forever, the emperor had reached the cave with barely any interference in her path. only the chibai left off in the distance was present, and the king could care less about what good the bait was to do on its own. though, it would do her well to go in prepared, solo. heaven's right took the time to re-examine her equipment, by the entrance, barely out of reach from the heat of the lair's interior.

so a damage dealer, almost akin to herself. nian snorted, the king's own way of addressing the lowlifes, by now. at the mention of the other's title, however--

"You may call me Ruler, by the way."

-- she whipped her head around, stopping, eyes widened in a harsh ruby glare.

"Uh, if it pleases you."

it did not please heaven's chosen in the slightest. "falsehood," the monarch shot back, diving back into long, unbroken strides. "the ruler you must be speaking of a curse otherwise. there is only room for one divinity --" the little emperor raised a clawed finger, to prove her point. then, she flexed her thumb out, index curled, and jabbed it to herself. "--and that position belongs to yours truly."

so she strode onwards in a huff, steps almost faster than the golden liar herself. nian hissed as she considered a better name-- better, because the king was the one to give it-- for the one who'd sullied the standard borne only for royals seemed to need a decent one, as garbage as she was. and as the monarch clicked her tongue, she found her answer in the god's favored language.

"chi," her true ruler decided, that steel arm raised and eyes flashed violently over her back. "that is what i would call you. be honored upon your new gift bestowed to you, chi. you are in presence of new leadership upon this forsaken world."

simple and straightforward. obedience was a thing that nobles paid for, rulers subjugated with. upon that simple response, nian strung her grievances off the thread, just a little.

it was by a wondering informant that they'd receive the intel. a meeting that nian expected, but not to little fanfare -- an injured man wouldn't be able to afford luxury nor rewards. only the glory of the hunt would be satiable this day --

"We'll send it back to Hades with it's tail between it's legs."

-- and even that was being threatened from her, by now.

the king turned none by way of conversation. once her lackey had obtained what was necessary, the king moved on. and so with the information that the guard dog had guard dogs of its own (outsourcing power, a move that nian could respect), the player set her claw to her arm, applying pressure as she thought it best to stretch herself. "if you must be sure enough to face the beast," his majesty started, "then what is your method of attack, pray tell?"

not that nian needed to answer. the tyrant kept her claws bare as much as she could, after all.

and that anger festered even more. the environment was already terrible to look at -- and the gall of keeping the company of lowlifes around, while she was at it? but for their sake, the emperor's brain worked quickly; if that meant the ruler would be safe in the face of wandering monsters, then so be it that the accompaniment be bait.

on a stoic, stone cold face that the king returned to her subjects, nian blinked, slow. sharpness gave way to an agitated frown; still perturbed, but nonetheless accepting. "it does you well," she said, "that at least you know your place, commoner." and the woman strode onwards, pace hastened. her short cloak was lifted in her wake. "so be it. do as you see fit."

though, nian spun a hand as she walked, deciding not to look backwards. "it would do you well to pay attention to where you're going, however. life goes on beyond your screens."

ah. it was warm.

the heat was almost sobering for the young ruler. and unlike the misseus who'd just so happened to block her path once she spawned into the area, nian was solely garbed in dark hoping to chase away the onlookers that might catch her in their eye -- enemies, that dotted along the path towards the hound of hell's lair. she growled, almost instinctively at the sight of the other player, black metal claws pushing past the plebian. "make way."

like an order. and as nian rounded the obstacle, she noticed the menus pulled up in front of them. another look of disdain crossed the emperor's face as she seethed in her steps onto red soil. hadn't any one the respect not to obscure the pathways of others? at the teleporter, no less. no manners, these useless folk. the king bristled, steps harsh as though they could set off fire in her heels' wake, already starting down what road would take her to best what might aincrad had to offer.

[[ N I A N ]]

Lv. 14 | NIAN | HP: 280/280 | EN: 46/46 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 36 | LD: 3

Spoiler    equipment  Heaven's Decree +2 ACC +1 EVA STR-v2 + 6 DMG Red Omamori + 3 LD    br.inventory  Teleport Crystals (3) Cold Brew Coffee (5) | HP RECOVERY III | [link] Golden Key (3) Chocolate Truffles [+4 EN/ea] (5)    skills  Spoiler CLAWS | RANK 5/5 stamina, precision, ferocity aoe shift  COMBAT MASTERY: MIT | RANK 3/3    buffs  Spoiler creme brulee (+2 acc) | 2/3    sword arts  Spoiler all sword arts en match their multiplier unless stated otherwise. en for aoes is += (2 * targets). x15 | aoe-i x18 | aoe-ii x20 | st-b x12 | tech-a | stun | 13en x12 | tech-b | delay x8 | tech-f | stun aoe    misc.  Spoiler

so here was the situation.

"ever since the boss of the labyrinth has been defeated, there's been a bunch of boar noises from the tower that's keeping us awake! please clear out the labyrinth so that--"

blah blah blah. nian didn't need to know their reasons.

the once deadly labyrinth of aincrad's past was coated black, stuck on the furthest edge of the castle, away from the town of beginnings. almost a waypoint against a blue sky; on a clear day, and only if one was in the outskirts far enough to have spotted it. the quest npc that had wanted the massacre of pigs was housed somewhere close by. a village. a checkpoint, a beacon of hope for ancient players.

a troublesome stop in the road for nian. nonetheless, the effort she would take in decimation would be enough if cardinal took kindly to her prospects. some col; enough for a domicile, fit for a king, and whatever gear she could scavenge to boot. that would be enough, just for now.

greed would always find her again, to tell her when she needed most.

it was at the stronghold's entrance that said beast was reviewing her statuses. through thorough understanding, her estimation of what defeating the boars would entail should've been right -- some experience, but mostly the loot. buffs to help. damage to keep sane. she thought nothing of the dangers within, for there was little to oppose the woman in a place like this.

with a click of a button, the front doors to a prairie shifted open. a heavy groan, as though the labyrinth had not seen use in days -- yet, nian was certain it must've. cardinal was just being dramatic.

allowing the entrance to stay open, she strode in, white obscuring her arms in a turn of light, before blanketing them in claws of black blemished steel.

@Corvo

[[ N I A N ]]

Lv. 14 | NIAN | HP: 313/313 | EN: 46/46 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 36 | LD: 6 | PROSP: 3

Spoiler    equipment  Heaven's Decree +2 ACC +1 EVA STR-v2 + 6 DMG Red Omamori + 3 LD    br.inventory  Teleport Crystals (3) Cold Brew Coffee (5) | HP RECOVERY III | [link] Golden Key (3) Chocolate Truffles [+4 EN/ea] (5)    skills  Spoiler CLAWS | RANK 5/5 stamina, precision, ferocity aoe shift  COMBAT MASTERY: MIT | RANK 3/3    buffs  Spoiler field rations (+12% hp) | 1/1 water canister (+10hp/ooc regen) | 1/3 creme brulee (+2 acc) | 1/3 smores (+2 eva) | 1/3 berry crumb bars (+3 ld) | 1/1 smores (+3 prosp) | 1/1    sword arts  Spoiler all sword arts en match their multiplier unless stated otherwise. en for aoes is += (2 * targets). x15 | aoe-i x18 | aoe-ii x20 | st-b x12 | tech-a | stun | 13en x12 | tech-b | delay x8 | tech-f | stun aoe    misc.  Spoiler

She waited.

When the upgraded weapons were presented to her, Nian was quick to recover them to her inventory. They were gone in a flash, then reappeared on her arm -- the weight of them felt about right, the sheen on their nails spoke as though the gauntlets were brand new.

Not so much for the fists' outer shells. But that was a flaw she was forced to live with. A frustrated growl, the player looking about the room. If she tested it here, she wouldn't be able to pay for repairs.

Likewise, they were in a safe zone...

Nian decided to play nice today.

"Whatever. Bye."

With a quick strut outside, the king left.

There were just some delicacies that met her expectation. Those were few and far between, what with the amount of trial and error the commoners had to go through to rework the height of human luxury back into the game. Yet somehow there had been this dingy store off rumors she'd heard from some place or another. Upon a stroke of luck, she'd found gold.

And everything on display was exquisite.

Nian tabulated the cost in her head. Relatively cheap, given the quality at first glance. But even in her sour mood, inspecting blemishes in the chef's handiwork, she couldn't find any.

The royal huffed, almost offended, before shelling out the col necessary for her order. No unnecessary words were exchanged, and somehow it seemed like a satisfactory order was completed.

If only the king's demeanor expressed that fact first-hand.

2400col | teleport crystal (x3)
1000col | field rations (x1)
 400col  | water canister x3 (x1)
3000col | keys (x3)

sum: 6800col

Narrowed eyes and a tell-tale frown. The short cape that followed behind her was complemented by the brush of long, thick hair almost threatening to sweep the floor. Behind Nian, the door clicked shut, but what bothered the woman was how claustrophobic the walk towards the shop's counter seemed to be.

Only at the desk did the player summon forth her beloved modelled weapons. The shadow her cap cast over her eyes only seemed to make those crimson orbs glow.

"These need repairs and an improvement."

Unequipping weapons was supposed to be a task simple for most players, and yet the ruler's fidgeting upon her upper arm spoke otherwise. A lock mechanism released, and there was a hiss in the air. The heavy blocks of metal unloaded with a thud onto the counter almost too small to contain them. Nian glared at the piece on the wood's edge, her steel blatantly threatening to fall over.

"I'll watch," the beast seethed through gritted teeth. With a snap of her fingers, a pouch full of col was set by her gauntlets' side.

A list of ways Nian probably found the exit:

1. Spider-crawling. Through stabbing holes into the side of the airship with her claws, the fiend was likely to cause leaks into the cargo hold. However, given Cardinal's fortune, the vessel was going to maintain capability. By scaling the exterior of the room, as large was it was, unabated by foreign sources, the stalker was likely capable of punting herself beyond reach of danger before the chaos started.

2. By magnitude of the room. Almost like a warehouse, the bundle of crates that separated her presence from the rest of the rabble cloaked her from view. Hence her undisrupted wandering through the labyrinth into the main hall towards the ship's interior.

3. Sheer willpower. She got through the hallway, too, through use of sheer willpower by force. Let's hone in on this answer, and it should sound like--

The crunch of bone between a tightened grip. With one fling, the body of a soldier was tossed aside, innards crackling, figure thrown about like a ragdoll. An impossible feat had the system obeyed reality as they once knew it, but this was an alternate realm with its own set of rules and power structures.

Their king ruled heavily by might.

A shoulder tackle nearly knocked three opponents to the floor. Not to wade through the sea of enemies heading towards the hold -- no, most of them had made it past her position, by this point, but neither was Nian liken to stick around a fruitless position. No doubt her target was to be higher up.

So she had to make haste. Each disposed member of a troupe was only a warning to the rest, garbled code and mangled corpse in her hand just to toss it back to the gawking onlookers. A light pummeling as her threat, her promise. The saunter off was her wandering in earnest.

The door to each room was just like opening a rusty treasure chest. Their interiors, nothing of interest. That gate only fell onto the floor with a clatter, either hanging from their hinges still or slammed into a wall on the opposite corner of the room's entrance.

A beast wouldn't care. Heaven would guide her on her way, after all.

In a trail of destruction, a mix of threats barely wounded and completely unmoving, Nian made her way towards the king's rest.

Oh. Sure it was. Nian's sharp eyes bore into the outline of the other player's figure, once the vagrant stopped to turn around, form taut but unflinching. The gauntlets on her arm posed an imposing threat.

Because they were. And because the royal had just stopped in front of a pillar. In the dim light that poured through from their crack into the cargo, their ruler was not to be outdone. Hence the raise of her oblivion, and a lowered tilt of her head.

"No," the king demanded. "You're going that way." The slam of the back of her index against a glass panel covering an alarm set the world askew, a blaring noise too many decibels loud pounding away at their ears after a heartbeat. Her withdrawal from the contraption was impatient at best. As becoming of a monarch was, Nian didn't need a party who wouldn't follow through on her orders. "We part ways here. Bye."

She didn't turn around to watch the hold swarm with soldiers en route the way Koga had mentioned to head towards. Neither did she falter in her step, striding into the inky darkness, anger festering in the nails of her claws gripped into a fist.

Direction -- they needed it. And Nian would provide it to them, with or without a map of the ship that they found themselves on.

And yet, the reckless imbeciles were the ones to move first. Just as the king released herself from her turtle-shell grip, claws none the worse for wear from her protection, did they fling themselves off into the murky abyss of stacked cubes.

The monarch was not one to take risks like that just yet. She stretched, knowing the physical effort, the toll that would be on her figure in the future. Rolled her shoulders. Ensured her equipment was in gear. Then, and only then, did she follow suit.

She landed on all fours, like a beast on the prowl. Tall, but not enough -- almost taking the shape of a lion right behind the man's view. A flowing mane. Eyes that glowed red in the dark.

The other player that was with him pointed her way.

When the tyrant righted herself, she trudged past the first player, and then the next. A wave of her claws as she paced through the labyrinth. "It's obviously this way," she spat, her gesture lazy. "Of course, if you want to die fending for yourself, you're free to do so."