[Quest] Finding What Was Lost (Bob Barton)

[Paragon]

Bob made his move amongst the barren board of this twisted game. When he finally stopped, and stood in his square, the knight moved again, moving in a hook to arrive behind Bob. It was a rigid motion, as fluidity came to the statue again. No sooner had this piece moved, another entered the fray. This time, a figure in long, flowing robes appeared in the near distance, head bowed as he padded across the squares. As Bob turned to witness the coming of this new arrival, the knight burst back into life again, moving closer until it stood above him, its shadow looming over the short man. It raised its sword in a position of unholy sacrifice. One piece, the whisper instructed, you may take only one piece.

[Bob Barton]

Stupid, stupid rules which did not allow him to move off when he wanted to. Bob just wanted to shout out how much he was not a piece in this strange game. He was a player. That was how he has been for years, that was how he has been living ever since he found out the history of his family but now? He was down at the bottom of the barrel. Not only he has no control but now he was under control. Just like the knight and that... "who is that?" he asked himself when he saw the robed figure suddenly appear.

Distracted in thinking what it might be, Bob momentarily forgot about the opponent he was against even if he was under attack. He thought that following the rules gave him some time to wait and think until he actually made his move. Since the newcomer was pretty far away, he will get to him when he can. His current opponent was the knight who got a dissatisfied shout from its soon to be victim because "you're not following the rules!" the stupid, stupid rules. Bob did not even use his turn yet and the knight already went and made himself another? That was unfair. Only Bob was allowed to cheat!

"One piece huh?" Bob asked aloud and his opponent would probably try and cheat again after since he already moved two pieces. Unless...that robed figure was one of Bob's and since it moved, following the rules it was the black knight's turn? He would have liked to test that theory but he was already under attack. Being the greedy gambler he was he announced that "I'll take both" whether by defeating them or if possible as he was thinking, part of his own side when he stabbed his own sword into the threat before him. He had to handle that knight first though, and the robed figure could wait until after he found out what role it had in this game especially to him.

[Paragon]

As Bob announced he would take both pieces, the knight moved again, bursting to life like some clockwork being. Though the game was recognisable, the rules were not, and Bob would begin to wonder if there were any rules at all. After all, the mind was rather fond of playing tricks. He had little time to react. The knight jumped off of his horse, and charged Bob with his sword held up in the air. He made no sound, as if this was a simple job, that had to be done professionally and quickly. Bob would be forced to defend himself, and at the same time, the cloaked figure approached from behind. If Bob turned to look, he might catch a glance of the figure's face - a recognisable, and surprising one at that. But there would be little time to take it all in, as the knight made his attack, the horse having seemingly vanished from sight. His armour was obsidian black, the sword swelling with writhing shadows. The attacker had a height advantage, twice as large as Bob himself was, but this was a world within a world. Did the logical things even apply here? Could short, tenacious Bob Barton, slay this dark knight?

[Bob Barton]

New plan! Bob was never ever going to do anything again, not even speak because everytime he did he would be at an even bigger disadvantage. It was just like the one with height that he had to live through all his life and it was the same here in this strange world when he could not even notice that the knight got back on the horse, until it was too late since it was already so imposing. His arm was already drawn back since he already wanted to go stabbing with the knight but all that had to change when he wildly stabbed forward defensively not to hit but just to try and get the knight to back away.

However seeing that the knight just kept on coming and with one of the strangest weapons he ever seen, Bob's mind switched to retreat. He turned to look behind him to see if he could go there but when he saw the face he had a shock. It was enough to make him know know...something but not about what until he had more time to think. However he could not allow himself to go against robes first now. He would have take on the knight by himself though that is enough trouble on its own since "wait! What happened to the L?" That was definitely a lot more tiles than it was supposed to use. Two piece against one person moving however they wanted. Certainly against the rules.

But how would Bob beat this large knight especially when it had no honor? He could only assume that since it did not follow the rules but if it could play dirty, Bob could play dirtier. The best method he could think of was the attack that he first conceived in Syliras. Its effectiveness has been tried often against opponents like soon to be knighted akalaks and their thuggish Sunberth counterparts so he was confident that he could add a dark knight to the list. As quickly as he could he got into a crouch, holding his sword straight across as he adjusted his body to the knight's kneecap like the strange name it had following Bob's weird tendencies to name his attacks. Once he was sure where the knight's sword might go he went in a dive at the other side to try and dodge it while going for a hit at the same time with the flat of the blade. Even if he fails, he knew he would have a chance to make a better attack if he could just continue on behind the knight.

[Paragon]

In the mind, strength was irrelevant. It was discipline and tenacity that mattered. And as Bob thought through his sword strike, the knight made contact, looking down too late and crumpling to the ground as Bob's sword made contact with his kneecaps. As he fell, he seemed to disintegrate in the air, dark purple flecks floating out into the non existent wind. Within a moment, Bob's opponent was no more. He would turn back to the hooded figure and see Elwin's face beneath the cloth. "Hello, young Ben. I mean Bill. I mean Bob. Was it Bob? I just can't seem to remember names these days?" The man was mad as ever, even within the confines of Bob's mind. Bob would wonder how Elwin had gotten into this mental world, and he was also wonder what was to come next.

[Bob Barton]

He landed and turned around to try for a finishing strike but Bob found that the knight was already finished. Finishing like poof, bye-bye, good riddance as all knights should black, syliran or otherwise. With that strike Bob would have exhaled in relief but he found that he did not feel that spent like he normally would after executing the kneecap. That was right enough, now he can focus on fighting against the next person.

Only the next person was not an opponent of his, he thinks. Elwin was just as freaky as always, the hypnotist he met from before fresh in his mind and always giving off an unnerving feeling for Bob. Compared to anyone else, he was not someone Bob wanted to face that much for good reason. Not his combat abilities which he did not know but look at him now? He still cannot remember that "my name is Bob, Levin" Oh great, now he got Bob doing it as well. Not his fault really since they met in the strangest of circumstances and there was a lot more important things to remember about the hypnotist other than his name...or face...

"You shouldn't have ran so suddenly at me like that. I thought you were an enemy" and Bob would have fought him too if the black knight was not around. Speaking of his opponent, Bob looked around and found that he did not even get his prize. The disappointment was on his face then but changed back to normal when he asked "you're going to help me now?" Better late than never though Bob would have preferred that he was around with the knight.

[Paragon]

"Help? Oh, yes, in a way. But you must help yourself too." Elwin pulled his hood down fully, fiddling with the cloth on his cloak. The whole experience was beyond surreal to an agitated Bob. Now the knight had gone, the empty chequered floor spread in all directions. Other than Bob and Elwin, the scenery was lifeless. Nothing else came, at least for the moment, so Bob could breathe in this moment of peace. "North," Elwin said suddenly, spinning on the spot, "Northwards." Bob would feel a pull inside him, like a compass needle spinning to meet the direction of its magnetic partner. Something lay north, he would feel sure of it in his mind and heart. Elwin had already started moving, feet clomping and resonating against the marble-esque floor. Bob would wonder if this strange foray into his own mind would ever end - and if his magical skills would ever be healed.

[Bob Barton]

This man never seemed to make sense even when he was trying to explain things. Bob already fought the knight off on his own. That was not help enough from himself? At least directions in this strange place was good in itself so that Bob would not have to wander aimlessly but "didn't the knight come from over there?" which was the other direction if Bob could recall properly. How did Elwin know the right direction anyway? That was worrisome enough for Bob since the man could not even get something as simple as a name right.

Maybe it had something to do with that spinning around if it was not one of the man's weird traits. Bob was about to try it as well but when he got on his toe he was tipping over to where Elwin was going like he was on a leash. Catching himself before completely falling down he forced himself onwards to follow asking "what is there to the north" which was fully dependent on the question that he did not even dare to ask as how did Elwin even know which was was north. There was not even a sun here.

Following Elwin across the floor of unchanging black and white made Bob feel just how inevitable it all was as soon as he took a few steps. At least now he was sure about the direction he was going to, more than when he just arrived anyway. Gut feelings, now that was something that Bob could follow having relied on so many of those already.

[Paragon]

Why was it always the north one had to follow? Why was it north the compass pointed to as priority? Such questions perplexed Elwin often, and once upon a time, he could have sat down and thrashed out the issue with pen, paper, and a sound mind. Now... that process was just a memory. Elwin paused, sandals squeaking on the marble black square he had ended up on. He looked at Bob thoughtfully for a moment, grasping a semblance of control. "North lies the answers you seek. North lies the object of our quest." He continued on again, with Bob following him behind. They walked for what seemed like an eternity. There was no physical tiredness here, but the journey would tire Bob mentally. And now, in the distance, rose a wall. A simple, brick wall, as tall as the sky was, and as wide as this inner world was. "The wall that blocks your djed control," Elwin muttered with a nod, "The wall you must knock down."

[Bob Barton]

Bob did not care about why north because the answer that Elwin never gave him properly was more important but by then he already knew that he was not going to get a normal reply out of the hypnotist. He would just have to find out for himself what it was when he got there but at least Bob was now as sure as he could be based on Elwin's assistance that they should be going...that direction which is apparently north not that he could complain about how Elwin knew it. If it was up to Bob he would have used a falling stick.

That method was just as ridiculous as how the wall that Elwin talked about during his initial inspection turned out. Bob could not even see where it started, where it ended and "I have to break this down?" He looked at his hand where his only available tool was his sword. Good for breaking black knights but he did not think it would do much with a wall. He asked the robed man beside him if "you have a hammer with you" or better, an army of golems but alone, Bob could only tap on the wall to inspect it.

"Breaking this down..." Bob asked himself as he looked at the neverending wall again. "I'd have an easier time digging it out brick by brick with this sword" that went running through the lines just to try and show Elwin how ineffective Bob thought it would be.