Setting
"Not here. I'll show you." She answered to Yun.
Whatever that presence is, it doesn't feel...correct. It's better to back away from that for now. More to the point, she needed to confirm the completion of her mission. Best way to do that is to speak to her accomplice, but comms are off inside this building. So she needed a work around, or just to go outside.
"I think it's time we left. Remember what I said about moving quickly?" Zii smirked as Yun watched intently.
She clasped both hands briefly, as if shaking hands with herself. A iridescent glow began to emit from them, before quickly shifting into a kaleidoscope of colors. Before anyone could blink, the scenery melted away until they were in another hallway. Similar to the one they entered, but this time, several blocks away in a different building. This was the teleport anchoring location, that still connected to the Alley, but in the opposite direction by a mile. A quick escape was always needed for the very very important people.
"Let's depart." She said, as she walked out of the door into the same alley, but a mile away.
"Mic Check. Grim, how'd your end of the mission go?" She said into her comm, as she walked with steady strides towards Main Street for the plaza.
"Without a hitch. Good job. Our mission is complete. The Chef and Establishment gives their regards."
Zii smirked, knowing that everything went right. It was time to go and meet up with her master. But she also wanted to make a pitstop at a library or bookstore for Yun. Seems like the right thing to do to answer her questions.
Taking Zii lead, Yun Yun nodded to her, following in step, heading towards the main road. the precense felt weird, almost unsettling as if it shouldnt exsist, but somehow did. But thankfully it was fainter then it first was. As the two walked along the narrow alley Yun Yun was briefly confused as to how Zii was speaking to another person, and then the person answered her ?
She had to remember she had seen other people doing similar things already, When she initally started running she had crashed into a man on his phone talknig to his wife. Thankfully the man convinced his wife that he just had an accident, but when he tried to speak to Yun Yun at the time, she had taken off.
But now as they neared the mouth of ther alley, the strange precense that felt unreal, yet real, was still faint but also still strong. She looked at the road, a look of slight confusion at the technology on the road, cars, trucks, vans, what looked like a street going train too.
This place was confusion. Looking around at the mouth of the alley, Yun Yun asked simply. "Where do we go now ?" She had a place, it was small the man allowed her to stay as long as she needed, rent free, all because she fended off a gang of thugs. But she couldnt risk it, not now. Not with that strange somehow stronger presense in the alley behind them
"Ah," he uttered, a soft exhalation escaping behind his mask, as he delved once more into his bag. From its depths emerged a strange knife, its handle a simple construction of wrapped cloth, but its blade, looking like a shard of a mirror, shimmered with an ethereal silver glow. As he gestured with the knife, it left behind a lingering distortion in the air, reminiscent of a heat haze on a scorching summer day.
"Are you observing carefully? Witness," he uttered to seemingly no one as he glanced over his shoulder. With deliberate precision, he stroked at the unseen, his hand moving like a surgeon seeking the precise spot for an incision upon a patient. Then, in a swift, fluid motion, he thrust into the air itself, a silvery streak trailing behind as he cut through the very fabric of space. The ethereal display unfolded like a masterful artisan with careful strokes, forming a sizable fissure in space. He then gracefully bowed and paused, noticing something.
In his wake, the peculiar avian figure from pursued with elegant grace, executing a mesmerizing parkour routine around the onlookers, bounding against the walls of the alley. The ornate cloak flowed through the air like the wings of a bird in flight. Onlookers were bracing and ducking as she effortlessly bounded over them.
"Ah, swan, you and your master are far too behind," he murmured cryptically. With that, he stepped into the fissure's embrace. The bird-like figure, swift and determined, launched ethereal bladed ribbons toward OttO in a desperate attempt to seize him. Yet, before her very eyes, the rift sealed shut, leaving her breathless, her bladed ribbons recoiling in vain. A frustrated utterance escaped from what would otherwise have been a delicate voice, echoing within the metal mask. She then looked towards where he could have gone, tapping her feet impatiently against the concrete.
Caught in the gaze of the spectators, she scanned the faces around her, spinning in a slow circle feeling their collective attention. Unease stirred within her, even behind her mask was evident in the unsteady rhythm of her breath and stagger. Unable to bear the scrutiny any longer, she sun down, and wrapped herself as much as she could within the folds of her cloak, as if finding solace in its embrace. Swiftly, she began to move, running away trying to fixate on her mission.
At least, that is what it would have felt like to the average upper level being. With the extra spells casted earlier. It would feel closer to looking at a mirage in the desert, a vague understanding of what one THINKS is there, what they believe it to be. Heralding would be seen and felt as an oasis in the distance. Vaguely identifiable, but in the end, a trick of the sun and heat. Heralding placed multiple identical selves to watch and observe. With the same capabilities and presence as himself. An ancient technique that was likely lost to time.
Heralding kept a hive mind psychic link to each one, instead of allowing for complete free independence like he normally did. He didn't want any variables in his reconnaissance, so no conflicting personal decisions this time.
Out of the 4 clones, 1 was made. He didn't think that was bad odds. So he continued to split them into different distances and followed from different angles, with different cloaking techniques overlapping the dimension walking he was currently doing.
"Truly remarkable, there is a pursuant of such a creature." The original exclaimed.
"Yes indeed, I would surmise that such a deity could not exist without consequence." Clone 2 stated.
"What deity? Such assumption cannot persist given the advent of detected nature." Clone 1 rebutted.
"The detected nature is one of non-existence...like a-" Clone 3 tried to start.
"Void." The original answered.
"Yes...but also more....like, something primordial." Clone 3 responded.
"So THATS why you sense divinity instead of simple nothingness." Clone 1 lamented.
"Perhaps." Orginal responded.
"Perhaps indeed. Let continue pursuit. Everyone, stay vigilant." Clone 2 proclaimed.
Just as she had the thought she could relax, the void-like presence dissapeared from her senses. But not right before a different and yet similar presence briefly appear and dissapear as well. Now she felt like she truly couldn't relax.
But what was there to worry about if they were gone?
If she was that neglectful and undeligent, she would have died a long time ago.
She continued on, keeping her guard high. But with the same smirk as always, she just sped up her steps through the Main Street.