The Rockaverse

A man in a cloak sat down and joined them at the table. At his presence several members of the audiences began to whisper amongst themselves. He was a member of Arubak's own posse, Kuchillo.

"I'm late, I know...I got caught up in something..." he smiled, raising his hands in the air in mock surrender. "What are we playing for? And who is this?" He asked, glancing at Syra as he kicked his feet up upon the table.

Noting a server he motioned for her to come closer as he whispered something in her ear. She replied with a smile and a nod as she left. He turned his attention back to Syra. "An outworlder, of course....but you seem more than a little green."

***

Mild scanned the scene briefly. The corpse of the man, the woman drunkenly musing before him, lines of....shattered glass in front of her and on her nostrils. She was clearly inebriated as well. Some sort of drunken pranks gone wrong.

"Maam, I'd like to to come with us," Mild stated as he approached Horik.

The waitress had come back a short while ago and replaced Ash and Rob's drinks with new, full glasses. "Anyways, I'm a Sommerian, actually from some minor Sommerian nobility. When Sor was still around, the planet was part of the Empire. My father was never a great fan of that, he held a bit of pride in Sommer, and wasn't keen on some of the 'traditions' and 'rules' of the Empire." Ash took a sip of his brandy with a slight sigh and a smirk.

"Essentially, my father didn't like the mistreatment of the poor or 'lower classes'. Some thought this was rather radical I suppose, to want to treat others with dignity and respect. I'm fairly certain that's why they killed him." Ash paused, the music now stopped and something else being put on display at the stage. Seemed like some folks would be gambling?

"I had joined the army as a young man, thought I would see the galaxy, have an adventure, maybe even stand up for justice. It was while I was in the army that my father and family were murdered. In fact, it happened when Sorillia first invaded The Rock. I was among some of the first men sent out to fight here on the planet." He went silent again, taking another sip of his brandy and watching as people began to take seats at the front. Was that Syra he spotted being dragged to a seat? Ash couldn't quite tell as the young lady looked quite different in terms of dress at the very least, but it looked a great deal like her.

Syra glanced at the man who'd just joined them, ignoring the shrieking man, passing him off as yet another drug-addled fool with more money than he knew what to do with. "Syra, and I may be an outworlder, but this hellhole of a planet has been my prison for the last twelve years," she smirked, "but not anymore. You're the only one here who seems to realize I'm not whoever they believe me to be, so tell me, what's going on and how are you going to help me make sure I win and protect innocent women in the process?"

"Excuse me, is there room in the game for one more?" A polite voice called out from the side of the stage. A slim, well dressed man sort of sauntered onto the stage. He wore a matching brown vest and dress pants (two parts of a three piece suit), as well as a silk tie, and white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His black hair (which had bits of grey around the temples) was slicked back, and he had a well maintained, pencil thin mustache. And for some reason, he wore a pair of spectacles with dark tinting to keep the sunlight (and other lights) dimmed.

The man took a seat a few spots away from, placing a drink down in front of himself as he pulled something out of his vest. It was a thin, black stem, elegantly crafted, and glittering a bit in the light. He placed a thin cigarette at the end of it, lit it, and began to puff away. "So what's the game today folks?" He asked with a playful grin. The man looked towards Syra for a moment, giving a polite nod. "Don't believe I've seen you around here before miss. The name's Price, Steppenwolf Price. Though Mr. Price works well enough for most people here. And you are?"

"That must have been very difficult for you," Rob said, nodding. "My own father died during one of Oblivion's attacks. My mother, God bless her, passed away from sickness a few years before that."

Rob eyed the stage but kept his attention on Ash.

***

"Oh, she's got a nice mouth on her," the woman coughed at Syra's comments, grinning foolishly. "But you'd best watch your mouth around Mama Lewd, that is, me!" The woman guffawed, much to Ewgross's annoyance.

"Enough, Mrs. Lewd," the man who had escorted Syra to her seat said, bowing slightly. "The young lady here asked for our names." The man smiled without showing teeth, and gestured.

"You have already met Mr. Ewgross, of course, and Mama Lewd," the man said. "My name is Frederic VonStickle yon Pickle. I will be your host this evening. The gentlemen who just arrived is, of course, Kuchillo." Frederic smiled again. "We're in for a treat tonight, my dear, for the prize this evening is none other than the Grand Ruby of the Sands!"

At this, the crowd gasped, a small curtain rising in the back of the stage, revealing a ruby the size of a fist glittering in a protected case. Several guards stood nearby, their faces like stone.

At this point, Price joined the group.

"Yes, yes, you are welcome to join," Freddy bowed, then looked to a guard, who nodded. "So long as you've paid the entry fee, just like everyone else, which I see you have." Freddy smiled pleasantly. "The game for tonight will use the following rules."

Freddy held up a deck of cards.

"You will each receive one shuffled deck of cards. Each deck has cards valued one through nine, with symbols of spades (black) and diamonds (red). Also included are jokers of black and red variety. The cards valued one through nine will play as those values, regardless of color. The jokers have different rules.

You will each be given five cards from your deck. The starting player will be Ewgross, going in clockwise order to Price, Mama Lewd, Kuchillo, and finally Syra, then the order will shift, again clockwise.

After receiving your cards, you will agree on a bet for the round. You must each match this bet or you will be ommitted from the round. You will each then play one card in order. Each person must play a card of the same value or higher than the one previously played, but the total points of the pile must not exceed 30 points. If a player finds they cannot play a card without exceeding this total, the round will end, and the player who last placed a card will win the round, and the bet money.

Jokers can be played at any time to immediately halt the round. The players with remaining cards, if any, must then reveal them. If the joker is black, the player with the lowest point total wins. If the joker is red, the player with the highest point total wins.

Does everyone understand the rules?"

Syra nodded her head in understanding, she figured the game would make more sense as they played. She was grateful she'd thought to bring some coin, though she had no use for rubies, she would find something to do with it when she won.

"Well, firstly...." Kuchillo whispered to Syra then stopped and smiled at the server who had brought him a drink and a bowl of pistachios. "I plan on taking home the ruby, myself," he continued. "As far as any other unwarranted prizes go...perhaps I'll see what I can do. After all, the House always wins...or so they say."

Kuchillo nodded to Freddy as he gave his spiel. "We've all played vefore, Freddy, come on..." he smirked. "I'm ready to get in with this game!"

In the audience, a bald man with a wool cap, slouched over in his seat, a bottle in hand slowly rose, rubbing his black handlebar mustache slightly as he became more aware of the proceedings. "Oh, is...is it starting now?" He asked the strawberry blonde haired man next to him.

"Very well, let the game begin!" Freddy said, shuffling each deck rapidly and dealing the cards. "Please take a look at your cards, then Ewgross, please settle on the beginning bet."

"Very well," Ewgross said, looking at his cards and frowning slightly. "Very well. My beginning bet is 500."

"Everyone, please decide if you will match or pass this round," Freddy said, gesturing to all.

"Call," Mama Lewd sneered.

"Quíniéntos?" Kuchillo questioned with a shrug. "I'll match that...." he stated, adding his coins to the pile. He glanced over coldly at Mama Lewd for one moment before taking on a more bemused expression. It was clear he had something to say, but he kept it quiet for now.

Ash gave a sullen nod to Rob. "My condolences. I had to witness a few of Oblivion's attacks... Still terrifies me thinking about the sight to this day. Gives you a whole new understanding of war. My condolences on your mother as well. I wish my family had been more lucky..." He went quiet as his mind was struck by those old memories, though he kept his eyes on the stage. A little part of him was made curious by all the people up on stage now.

"Don't know who did it, but I'm certain it was some other ambitious nobles. Burned down the family home I heard, everyone in my family died there. Father, mother, brothers and sisters." Ash took a deep drink from his glass. "I was here when it all happened. Completely helpless to helping my own family... Well, anyways, I really didn't have much left for myself anywhere. I stayed in the military, was already a Captain by that point. Part of that was because of being a minor noble, but I was actually a half decent Captain too." He chuckled slightly.

"I was mostly stationed on The Rock for a long time. This place was a hell, and Sorillia made it more so. When the Oblivion Crisis started to break though, we got called back into action. Lost track of the time honestly... I do remember a part of the fleet I was with came face to face with Oblivion though... It was... A massacre."

_____________________________________________________________________

Steppenwolf smiled. "Well, this is certainly a little different than I'm accustomed to, must be a Rockian game. Still, should be fun. May the best man or woman win!" He raised his glass in a playful toast before taking a drink.

As the game got underway, Steppenwolf's smile did not fade in the slightest. "Call." He placed his own bag of coins on the table now as he took another drag from the long, stick cigarette he held.

"You saw the god himself and survived, hmm?" Rob said, raising an eyebrow and his glass. "I'll drink to that." He swallowed more of his drink and sighed. "Thing is, they call it a Crisis now, but that's because they have the luxury. As I'm sure you're well aware, that was no mere... 'crisis.'" Rob shook his head.

"When an angry deity in flesh manifest decides to go to war with all of creation, it's Armageddon, plain and simple. Millions of people died. Millions. That's unfathomable," Rob sighed and swallowed more liquor. "Makes you wonder how we won. Makes you wonder what's next on the horizon."

The blonde man didn't reply, instead scuttling off as if he'd seen a phantom...

\

"Syra," she said to Mr. Price as the game began to get underway. She put her 500 coin on the table, ready to see where the round would go.

Frey wandered the desert. So much hunger in her stomach.

Frey would hear several somethings revving up in the distance, followed by spontaneous shrieks and yelps. The thumps of of something heavy hitting arid ground could be felt on the earth as of she were about to be set upon by a massive stampede.

Frey clenched her teeth. She was getting close. As the sand shook beneath her feet she ran for cover, ducking and covering herself with her tattered cloak as the sounds grew louder. And then, for a moment, silence- before they arrived.

Frey would see and wave of dust being kicked up in the distance, the shapes behind it covered in shadow. They neared her...moving closer...and closer still until they were widely visible.

Large, gaunt canine skeletons, marching across the desert, no flesh covering their bleached bones saved for a few strings or strands. Huge fangs jutting downward from their upper jaws and from where their ears likely once were...oddly enough lay strange but crude mechanical devices, known to those on civilians worlds as handlebars.

On their backs were saddles and on those saddles were riders, one sometimes two to a hound depending on the size. Men and women, sporting helms made of the skulls of the very same beasts they ride, and otherwise wearing little to no clothing save for pants and tattered bits of leather or fur jackets.

"AROOOOOOOO!" one of the yelled, standing up triumphantly on his mount and howling towards the sky. "Dreadhounds to the Kennels! Dreadhounds marching down! Chowing down! Run around. Dreadhounds!"

Cheers erupted from the aptly named Dreadhounds as they marched onward, gavanting past the still hiding Frey.

"BEAST WOOOOOOORRRRRLD! AWAITS US!" The man exclaimed, pounding his chest. Chants erupted from them all, chanting repeated cries of this 'Beast World'.

"And who will lead us?!" The man chanted loudly to uproarious responses.

"MAD DOG II!"


"AND who will guide us?"


"MAD DOG I!"


At this a mohawked woman mounted on the same beast as the Dreadhounds leading the charge, crawled between his legs and blew mightily on a trumpet.

"AROOOOOOO! HOWL AT THE MOOOOOOON!" The lead Dreadhounds chanted beginning to mount the woman and fornicate as both mounted the beast. "DOGGYSTYLE! WE ENTER SOON!"

"WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!" All the Dreadhounds shouted at once.

"OUR WORLD! EVERYONE'S WORLD!" THE Dreadhounds leader soat, tongue hanging lose from his mouth like a wild dog, his drool flapping in the wind. "BEAST WORLD!"

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"


The parade of ghastly hounds and their loud riders seemed to pass her by, too excited by their own jubilation to notice her. But one of the skeletal hounds...stopped. It's riders loomed around curious as it began to sniff the air through its bony fleshed snout.

It knew...something was nearby.

"3 of Diamonds," Ewgross said, placing one of his five cards in the middle of the table.

"The total score is 3," Freddy said, turning to Mr. Price.

Ash's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as his thumb gently caressed the rim of the glass he held. "Our fleet was decimated... When Oblivion started the assault, I begged the Admirals to call a retreat... The only reason we survived was that Oblivion wasn't as thorough as he thought he was. Our ship sat there, dead looking, as they went to do a mop up. That's how I saw him, through the windows of his flagship's bridge as they passed by... Once I was sure they were far enough away, I gathered up the crew and immediately got the ship ready for a full scale retreat, along with any other surviving ships we could contact."

The Captain looked back to Rob, his thumb stopping at the middle of the edge of his glass now. "It was like the end times... And truthfully, I still don't know how we won either." Ash chuckled slightly at that part. "Sadly, I've been stuck here on The Rock since sometime before the war ended. I thought I was being left for dead... But maybe it saved my life."

He went quiet again as he looked back down at his glass, staring at the golden brown liquid that swirled around within. "As for what's next... I'm not really certain. For me at least... I'm hoping for revenge."

_____________________________________________________________________

Steppenwolf kept smiling to himself, just generally pleased for some reason, though it was impossible to tell why. "Five of spades." He gingerly placed his card down before taking a quick sip of his drink, followed by a long drag from his cigarette.

"The total score is 8," Freddy said, turning to Mama Lewd.

"5 of Diamonds," Lewd said, placing the card onto the table.

"The total score is 13," Freddy said, turning to Kuchillo.

***

"Revenge?" Rob said, pausing, his eyes still clear of drunkenness despite the strength of the drinks. "You're seeking vengeance then?"

"Eight of diamonds," Kuchillo grinned adding his card to the pile, glancing over at Madam Lewd. "Have you visited your son lately, Mama Lewd? He still buried by the hills near the Horenor?" He inquired.

"9 of spades," Syra called out, adding her card to the pile, making the total score exactly 30.

"I don't have time to visit graves," Mama Lewd said, laughing as she watched the game unfold. "I'm much too busy with my businesses after all."

"The total count is 30," Freddy said. "The winner is Syra!"

"Bah," Ewgross said, throwing his cards down. "Who would have expected that?"

Freddy quickly collected the cards and redistributed them again.

"Second round. Mr. Price, what bet will you make for this round?" Freddy asked Price politely.

Ash cocked an eyebrow as they called out that Syra had won. Interesting, looks like it was her on stage. Quite an impressive turn of events he must admit. A small smile was on his face for a brief moment, but he turned his eyes back towards his drink, a little sullen now. "Yes. For a very, very long time now." Ash spoke quietly, taking another puff from his pipe before setting it down on the table. "For a long time, for many reasons, against many people. What about you Rob? Have you ever sought revenge?"

_____________________________________________________________________

Steppenwolf let out a slight chuckle, smile still on his face. "Well done miss, you might just wipe the floor with all of us tonight!" He took a small sip of his drink before thumbing his chin to think over his next gamble. "Well, I suppose I might as well ante up a bit. Let's make it 1000." Someone from the audience made their way over to the stage, some sort of 'hired help' by the looks of it. They passed Steppenwolf a bag, which he now placed on the table. "Anyone else feeling lucky tonight?" He said with a cheerful grin.

"Go big or go home!" Mama Lewd hacked. "I'll call that!"

"Very well," Ewgross said, his eyes narrowing. "Call."

***

"Revenge is never a beast I have fought," Rob said, sipping his drink again. "But I have watched others be ravaged by it. Ware yourself, friend, lest you too... be devoured."