It was surreal...
Cliff was thinking that- in many ways, this was a lot like playing a game of dungeons and dragons. However instead of actually being her character, her character was right there... in the flesh. (Or whatever it is, that these 'eyecili' were made from.) Cliff herself, was in a body very similar to hers, but that is only natural being one of three neko-sisters. Everything about her body was just.. 'cute'. Which she hated.
She hated being so small... standing only three feet tall, the others towered over her. The neko-kin race were a 'joke' race in the game. Quick maybe, but nobody actually ever played them seriously. Cliff only played one before he- took the game as something to win, rather then something to experience.
The forest was realtively peaceful though. The occasional strange animal sounds could be heard, but it wasn't too bad. The Earth hovering above them, its entire sky... Cliff could now see America above them. That was oddly comforting, to see home so close by... even if it was far away.
Esme suddenly raised her hand, her tail twitching. "Hold," she said to the others.
Cliff, Leslie and Bryan stopped.
Esme sniffed the air. "Harpies," she said warily.
"Oh..." Leslie said with relief. "Well I'm sure they won't bother-"
"We are not in your world, human," said Esme tensely. "Harpies here are dangerous and extremely territorial. I think it's their nesting time too. Lets pause here, and wait... hopefully they'll move on."
They made a quick camp, though Esme was quick to tell them not to cook anything, for fear of attracting the harpies. However the native neko-girl was more curious to her new 'sister', the Ohsile Cliff... who was also her creator.
It was hard to believe she was just made from this 'beings' thoughts... but there was some kind of a connection. A feeling in her very soul... and she would do anything for her. She knew this was her sister, more then a godly being... especially given how helpless she appeared, unable to do the simplest things that came natural to their race.
Bryan was a little nervous though. "So... these harpies... if they attack? Do monsters often attack? I mean- We don't want to hurt anyone," said Bryan, rubbing her face at the idea. The pesudo-magic girl six was wary of the idea of hurting what could be sentient beings.
"I heard you killed all the spider-girls in Spring village," said Esme with quiet awe, and even a touch of fear. But there was something so mesmerising about Bryan... one could almost see the strange power dancing in the young girl's eyes. "You're one of the Fundamentals, right?"
"A what?"
Leslie glanced back, as he put on a warmer cloak. "You mean a number?"
"Yes. A number," said Esme. "They are considered... neither eyecili or ohcili, they exist in both worlds. So they say anyway. Fundamentals of the universe. You are Six right? Six is said to be the most powerful of them... who's weapon is the dice. A weapon feared by well- just about anyone here." There was no containing the excitement in the little cat-girl. With a magic girl as a companion, there was nothing on this world they couldn't defeat.
"I- well- I'm Not... exactly," said Bryan. "I'm not really magic girl six. I just... I don't know. For some reason I have her powers and I guess I look like her," said the young girl. "But I don't know how to use them."
"Just like me," sighed Cliff. "At least you have cool powers, I'm just a little cat-girl."
"Oh stop it both of you" said Leslie. The elderly human looked to both encouragingly placing a hand on their shoulders."You both have only been in your forms for a few weeks. Even if you are not the real magic girl six, you do have her powers... and I can think of nobody more suitable. As for you Cliff... Esme is just like you. She's helped us survive, I believe you can learn."
There was a sudden rustle in the bushes.
"A.. harpy?" whispered Leslie.
Esme sniffed the air, then had a pained expression. "No... something worse... get ready to fight!" The little cat girl ran into the bushes, drawing a dagger... and was suddenly thrown out, as an incredible huge creature burst out. It was something that was neither man nor beast, with a face that looked like it had been cut with a knife onto clay. It lumbered out of the very ground, stuck on roots.
"What the hell is that!" shouted Cliff.
"Failures! I'll explain later but we have to fight it! We can't run from it!"
"Why not!" Said Byran. Running sounded like a pretty damn good idea as it seemed to be lumbering and slow. It's 'foot' was stuck in the hole in the ground it was stumbling out of. Though for some strange reason, it looked like the ground was 'healing' as it came out.
Esme clutched her dagger. "Because we'll lose... it's the rules," the catgirl explained. "Come on use your magic girl powers!"
Bryan tensed as she looked at the creature. What did a magic girl have to do to activate her power? She didn't know! "Magic... power.. up!" she shouted hoping for that to work.
...nothing happened.
Esme was suddenly picked up by the creature, and thrown against a tree. The cat girl was spry though, and landed quickly on her feet, as she charged at it. "Change Bryan!" She shouted.
"I can't! I don't know why it's not working!"
Cliff looked stunned, scared, and just hid behind them. There was nothing she could do.
Leslie remained calm and looked into his provisions, and took out a few of his small 'inventions' he had made on this world. He threw an improvised grenade at the beast then shielded the two smaller ones. "Esme get behind me!"
Esme did so, and there was a great explosion... with the creature dead, and some dust on Leslie's cloak. The cat girl looked at Leslie Stunned. "H-how did you... do that?"
"I kept myself busy at Spring Village," he explained. "I made a few things..."
"Y-you're a wizard?!"
"No... a scientist."
A strange shard of light came out of the creature, and floated before them.
"...you earned the tokens," said Esme. "They say if you get enough... you get a wish. Most eyecili are stuck though. They do the same things over and over... without any thought. It's only with the ohcili we get to do... things." She glanced at Cliff as she said that. "That's why you're like gods to us... otherwise we just... we're just..."
"...like NPCs," said Bryan. "I... I think I get it. That's why the people in spring village became more alive as we interacted with them."
Leslie nodded. "It would seem... humanity is infectious."
