[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS

[skinstealer]

JESTER: Wh-
SYNNA: What's going on over there?
MAES: Jester-
JESTER: J-judgment just lit up, something's wrong-

 

The floor wet and warm, blistering winds indoors heading toward Maes' direction.




The proxy starts to spasm mechanically.







The karacel reels back, letting out a snarl as she readies her sword-

JESTER: MAES, THAT'S-

 

[Image Description: A hyper-stylized silhouette of Charon leaping with sword in hand at the mysterious creature, the background adorned with stars on a reddish background.]


Immediately a loud clash, the impact sparking light just enough to see just a glimpse of the action.


[Image Description: Charon makes a attempt to use his sword to fend off the creature, a living embodiment of space and void contrasting with the similarly colored star pattern of his cape. The point where the sword blocks the beast has a cutoff from the borders of the comic itself, magic of the void manifested in breaking and rearranging the medium of illustration and comics themselves to be used as a tool by the canine knight]


A large writhing mass of loose humanoid shapes poorly clinging to make a larger figure.




As Charon is thrown back, his proxy tags in- guarding against the attacker's weight what isn't quite Mar, hissing hymns- its presence too angry and threatening to be her.





The dog shifts to the opposite side to protect the others, audibly growling- light yet animalistic, with a electronic cackle.

MAES: WH-
JESTER: IT'S NOT THE GHOST-!
MAES: WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT THE-

 

Ice, ice cold feeling floods the room, enough to make Rosetta shudder and lose her grip, convulsing and covering her ears from some unheard sound.



The figure immediately thrashes, the new proxy diving in to grab and slam it down toward the opposite direction.










The noise, the shaking from both fighting- unearthly, unknowable-

JESTER: It's- it's okay, it's-!

 

The mass looks to Maes.





And lunges.







It does not reach its target.



A colossal thud, enough to shake the room, echoes as a massive wall of flesh wedges itself between Jester, Maes, and the fight, shielding the two of them-




[Image Description: A sequence of events depicted in 3 panels, frames collapsing to represent the blur of the moment. In the first panel Maes, wearing the hazard suit, is being stalked by a mysterious creature, tendrils creeping into frame past the usual comic borders. Second panel is a cut depicting the creature directly above and about to lunge at Maes, a mysterious figure rushing in to interrupt the attempt to bite off her head. Third panel, largest of all, depicts Maes reacting to the figure, a very large feline creature with multiple heads layered around each other, taking the impact of the piecing monster. There is a unspoken sense of familiarity between the two. ]


-Eight glowing lights materializing on its form, different shapes, colors and sizes-











...eyes.



Just like Jester's.



Jester acts fast, snatching up Maes and leaping back as her breath gets labored.




It feels like the moment lasts forever, everyone but Charon and his proxy shielded by the twisted shield of karacel parts.








Pounding, sounds of metal tearing into bone and flesh, proxy screaming and dog howling.






Jester whimpers and clutches at Maes, squeezing his eyes shut as the rawest and most basic of urges rocking the entire floor.

Maes is frozen.

Rose breathes heavily, her hands shaking as her tail writhes from the noise.











An impossibly high pitched noise breaks through.









And then silence, a light so bright it could have been a blinding sun blasting from the other side.



Jester looks up, squinting- the shadows coming off forms all he can see.


[Image Description: A injured Charon with cracked lens and lip dripping with blood looking back at the party as he seals them off from the fight with the creature. In front of him a large humanoid figure with flowing materials growing out of her is holding a large banner on a pole. She faces off against the beast, a ultimate form of proxy against a shadowy fiend not quite fully developed. The entire panel being slowly swallowed by tendrils and square framings, cracking under the strain of being assaulted.]


Cracked outlines in the surrounding area reveal glimpses of something not meant to be encounter, feelings of divine hate no person could fathom on their own.





A sense of body and soul barely being attached, living briefly among the stars beyond.




Jester cannot look away.








And then a return to darkness.










Proxy still rattling.




There came a sound that could only be the attacker slinking away, its pathetic, pained cries like a kid who's knee had been scraped.







And then it's all gone, proxy trembling and dog whimpering remaining as the last sounds of struggle.

MAES: ...Judgment?

 

Maes' voice is shaky, snapped out of her shock.

MAES: J-jester, put me-
JESTER: Maes, it's-!

 

He keeps his grip tight on her, even when she thrashes.


The mismatched pupils turn towards the pair, a silhouette starting to become visible.

Not a wall, but a massive figure, more similar to an insect in body plan than the traditional bipeds found in Taverne-

...a twisted creature not unlike the one that attacked Charon, but both more and less identifiable in its features. A row of karacel heads devouring each other in a chain, forming a bizarre long neck tipped with a singular head. Its body reeks of decomposed flesh, its body and limbs made up of prehensile, matted tails- black sludge leaking from between the different colors of fur.

Each face seems to shift independently, but after a moment, it turns their attention to the trio in front of it.

It shuffles over, lowering its long neck to investigate.

A distorted, stretched calico face peers at Charon and then the proxy, eyes blue and wet looking.

The proxy sobs silently, while the knight's expression is completely lost.