I reached the bottom of the steps where Hero and Sapphire were waiting for me. Sapphire was hanging onto Hero's arm. I felt a pang of anger and pushed it down. Hero was mine, but now was not the time. She would be punished severely later.

  Hero looked around the large city path. It leads up to a massive city square. Above a massive water fountain, a single huge sign floated into the air, the letters on it shining in neon colors.

  I frowned at that second line. “May your stay.. Be yours alone?” I looked over to Hero who was also looking at the sign. After a moment he snorted derisively. “Didn’t know we were going to Las Vegas, Medieval underwater edition. Where are the slots? I have misery to spend away.”

  I looked around the city street’s, but noticed no one was there. I had been so stuck on the sign and Hero, I hadn’t been doing my due diligence. I wished I had my dragon Blake. He could fly me up and.. “Hello Madam” I turned as I fired my bubble rifle. But the rifle didn’t fire.

  I looked down in shock before looking up at a tall man with yellow colored eyes. Almost a sickly yellow, with green pupils on top. My eyes narrowed, but Hero spoke up. “Oh look, a strange snake dude appears out of nowhere in a massive seemingly empty city. Totally legit.”

  The snake smiled and looked up at him. “You seem like quite the observant fellow, Are you by chance a fan of video games?” I looked confused at the lizard before turning to Hero who was looking uncertain.

  I tried to pull my trigger again, nothing. I looked up at the snake man and glared. Throwing my gun down, I jumped at him to punch him. But he just.. Vanished?! “Madam, I ask that you keep the violence to a minimum in our fair city. You would not want to let in what's outside.

  For some reason, his words caused a shiver to run down my spine. The massive yellow eyes.. Similar to his actually, but much, much bigger. “What do you know about that thing outside!” I snapped at him angrily.

  He simply did a weird thing with his weird thin tongue like he was laughing. Then he spoke. “Ah, do not mind him, he is simply here to judge the sinful. Do not sin, do not lie, and do not steal. You may never meet him.”

  I stepped forward and raised my fist to punch at him again, but Hero spoke up. “Alia, don’t.” His words were solemn and he was looking up. I followed his gaze and I felt the blood leave my skull. Above use, just on the other side of the glass. A massive dark creature floating above, its huge yellow eyes looked down at us… looked down at me.

  I felt intense fear and froze. After a moment, I slowly lowered my fist. The moment I unclenched it, the eyes vanished. “My apologies, he can be rather.. Aggressive, in his judgments. Do keep that in mind.” The snake man said from beside me.

  I heard none of it, I simply stared into the darkness where I had seen those eyes. What was that thing? Why was it here? Why were we here? I shook my head. No, it didn't matter, none of those questions mattered. Getting out of here is what mattered.

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  I turned to look at Anna, she was cowering over by the wall. “Anna, What is this place?” She looked at me for a moment before her eyes wandered to the monitor. If Anna had any blood left in her, it vanished in that instant.

  Her eyes darted to the cube on the table and back to the terminal and screen. After a moment of visibly swallowing, Anna spoke quietly. “So.. um.. Do.. Do you remember Muosil? The ruins? And… and Reedril?”

  Silence filled the room as it took every once of power I had in me not to erase Anna right then and there. “Why.. Did you recreate Muosil, Anna?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it came out strained and Anna cowered harder.

  “It was supposed to be a funny test, you know? It was just a stupid dungeon originally! I swear! I actually made it because of the way Saki talked about Reedril. She called him this monstrous horrible force she couldn’t fathom..”

  “Reedril was a kind and loving creature!” I shouted at Anna in rage.

  Saki suddenly coughed and looked away. “Technically Tama, Anna is right. Reedril was nice to us, he also the reason the original Muosil was turned to ruins. He also constantly spoke of the judging of sins.

  I pursed my lips and glared at Anna, who only cowered harder into the corner. I turned to Saki pleadingly. “We have to get them out of there.”

  Saki pursed her lips and looked ashamed. “We.. can’t. When I was kicked from Hero’s body, we were mostly locked out of the system. You were only able to contact Hero at all because his death cycle runs through the admin console.”

  “But.. But..” I tried weakly. Saki gave me a knowing and sad look.

  “We can just erase them now if you want Tama. I know it isn’t the ending you were hoping for, but this is hopeless. Even you have to admit that.” I looked over at Anna cowering, at Saki looking at me with sympathy. I looked at the terminal and screen.

  After a moment I smiled. “Let’s… wait a little longer. I think Tama’s words got through to Hero.” My tail wagged back and forth happily as I leaned into the console. “Tama thinks they might be just fine.”

  I saw as the eyes closed and instantly knocked what the snake man had meant. This was a test, and there was no winning. At least, not in the direct sense. If we broke the rules, we were probably worse than dead.

  I didn’t know if it would just kill us or… The memory of the void, of the golden figure, the picture in my bag. I wouldn’t let that happen. Inevitable only works when there is no escape. I would find a way out. I just had to make sure to follow those.. Rules…

  As I thought that, I looked at Sapphire who was staring at me with dilated pupils and slightly drooling. Behind her, Alia was clearly torn between rage and terror at the lizardman. We were so beyond doomed.

  I shook my head, no! I could do this, we just had to walk carefully… “Hero has fought lots of massive sea creatures before! This judge will lose to our Hero!” Sapphire gushed. I paled and looked up.

  The yellow eyes had opened and were looking directly at Sapphire. “Sapphire, that’s not true. Say it isn’t true right now!” I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her as I felt terror wash over me.

  Sapphire paused, looked puzzled and asked “But why Hero? I am simply telling the truth!” Suddenly the entire dome cracked and water began to gently leak inside. “Sapphire so fucking help me. I said as I let her go and stepped back. “Just say it!”

  Sapphire looked uncertain, but did as ordered. “Hero did not fight lots of massive sea creatures.” Instantly, the eyes closed and the crack slowly began to seal itself. My head hurt and I could feel my heart pounding.

  “Tsk Tsk, That was a close one. Lucky for you, The Judge is a forgiving sort. So long as you admit your sins or walk them back, he will forgive… if done in time. But do be warned young ones, his patience is not infinite. One too many sin’s, and no amount of forgiveness will save you.” The lizardman's words caused me to feel dread. We were beyond doomed.

  “So what, you gonna bother us all day now? You gave your warning, get lost!” Alia snapped at him. She did not attack him thankfully. The lizardman simply tipped his bowler hat at us and vanished from sight. She walked over and kicked a nearby building. The eyes opened.

  “Alia!” I snapped. She tensed then quickly leaned down and… petted? The wall. Somehow that worked and the creature once again closed its eyes. We needed to get the rules down, like.. Right now.