Minor and Kat just stood and watched the mannequins throw themselves at each other for around five minutes before it started getting dull. Oh sure, it was so horrific, but they were just wooden statues, this was all a dream, and really, the only thing still keeping them on edge at this point was the awful noise they made.
*I really just have no idea what to do with this. We've seen before that we need to attack the central idea… play along with it a bit to shatter it completely but honestly I'm at a loss. Sure this was pretty scary originally…*
But now it's kind of comical watching the mannequins flail about. Now that Kat was up close and no longer afraid, she could see them bending and shifting more like those blow up figures in front of car lots.
*Besides, what do we even do? There is this awful red tint on everything, but it doesn't really matter, not once you get used to it. What about the dark clouds? Are they important? Should I have flown up to them to check out?*
*But they just seem so unimportant, like they are barely even part of this scene… so it all comes back to the mannequins… Maybe I should poke one? Is that dangerous? I mean none of them even have a bow so I could just fly away… but it seems a bit risky.*
"So Minor you got anything?" asked Kat "My best idea is just to see what happens if I try poking one with my tail or something and backing off… but that seems like it can't be worth the risk.
"At least for the moment the mannequins seem rather content to just fight each other, and I'd hate to have to plan things out while I'm running away from a bunch of homicidal mannequins… but I'm really not coming up with much else"
"Hmmm, see, I'm trying to figure out where this could be from. I think it's a bit too specific to just completely made up. See, for dreams like this, you need at least a little reference, even if it's only a story or something…
"But I just can���t think of anything relating to mannequins or the like. Even war was pretty far from Major's mind. See, she had a good deal of combat training but she was never trained for warfare specifically…
"I believe Mother said something like 'War is not for the faint of heart or young of age. While I still live and your age numbers less then 50 you shall hear nothing of it' which, Major didn't exactly protest
"She just didn't have any interest in war really. It didn't give her any more personal power and that's what she was obsessed with. Perhaps short-sighted, considering two people is stronger than one in any situation…
"But Major has her difficulties, and I have mine… though I do wonder if she will lose that particular one… Anyway I'm getting distracted, the point I'm trying to make is that war isn't something that she be blocking us" said Minor
"But why not? I doubt she's ever been to a desert or a cliff or something" said Kat
Minor nodded ���Well, yes, those weren't exactly memories, well the blizzard arguably" Minor shook her head "I'm getting distracted again. The thing is, those were all rather generic, based on the weather and just generally bleak situations
"We can see this with how easily you broke the desert just being happy about being there. They were all places Major knows about and would never want to go, so that's easy. Now I thought, this was a war, another thing Major didn't really want to see
"But the mannequins kind of throw me. I mean, if they were just meant to be people stand-ins then they would look different. Possibly just armour, or more likely something roughly approximating the guards in the palace
"But no, it's specifically wooden mannequins and I can't help but feel that it means something you know?" said Minor
*Well… I guess it is a bit strange, but I mean this whole thing is strange. Why is it all red? Does that mean anything? What about the fact that you can't quite see where the mannequins come from? If you try to look they always seem to come from just out of sight…*
*Hell take a step back further, we are inside someone's head who has two souls and one of them is helping me… honestly we are already in crazy town Minor. Even if this is a magical world, this cannot be normal.*
*Hmmm, though that does make me thing… what about stories? Books perhaps? Or movies would that work?*
"Could this be like… a scene from a book? Or a movie? Or a video game?" asked Kat
"Um… no to the first I think, but what is the third?" asked Minor
"Er… well, it's sort of… an interactable light projection?" said Kat. *Technically true and I really have no better way to think about it really.*
"Huh… I don't think we have anything like that. That sounds like quite high levelling enchanting or spellcasting" said Minor
"Yes it i- would be" said Kat stumbling. *Dammit, I can't say that it IS because there is no magic involved and that would be a lie.*
If Minor noticed Kat's minor fumble, she didn't comment on it, she did however say, "Tell me a bit more if you don't mind Kat… I feel like there is something right on the tip of my tongue"
"Um… I don't really know? I mean… I never really had the chance to play them myself I just heard others talking about them… I… I think you sat down and tried to… I dunno I guess play out a story?" said Kat. *How do you explain video games to someone with no concept of tv's without revealing you're from a world without magic…*
*Huh, though hang on… would I be allowed? The system doesn't seem to be around… so perhaps I could tell Minor… but it probably isn't worth risking.*
"Huh… play out a story you say… that's ringing some bells actually… I'm so close… I think I do know what this is from, but I just can't quite remember it" said Minor
"So what it is from something then? Not a book though?" said Kat
"No it couldn't be… I remember most of those well. Major kinda just stuck to training manuals most of the time so I know the few other books she's read extremely well. Is there anything else you think it could possibly be? Some other leisure activity?" asked Minor
"Um…" said Kat
*Other leisure activity… I mean there is trivia I suppose? And Gramps rather enjoyed playing ball games when we still had those old soccer balls… Huh, what did happen to those? Kat shook her head and tried to refocus. Something else… wait what about board games? Like chess and stuff…*
"Have you heard of board games?" asked Kat
"No… not quite but… WAR, war games I have heard of" said Minor.
"Right… what are they exactly" asked Kat
"Well, just based on the name, and the impression I get when you speak, I think they might be the same thing actually" said Minor
*Why would… oh right translation. I actually forgot I had that… Guess it's nice to know it isn't a system feature.*
"See, Major did actually play a few, but um… ok what could this be" said Minor "I think, it has to be one, but it clearly isn't anything like the original… but it should just be what they represent that might be enough and also explain why they are mannequins"
"How so?" asked Kat
"Wooden game pieces. Even we as royalty still used them… and in fact they were very important for one particular game, called Rally… now that I think about it, this has to be based off Rally, there is nothing else it could be" said Minor
"Right… well how are we supposed to break it?" asked Kat
Minor bit her lip "Well, that is where this gets a bit harder. I do think this scene is based off it, but we are rather far from the source material if I'm being honest. I can't be quite sure how everything ties in… maybe I should just explain the rules? Do you think that would help?" asked Minor.
"I guess so? I mean, otherwise I go back to staring at mannequins while you puzzle it out on your own. I've never heard of Rally at all, so I won't be able to help you otherwise" said Kat
"Well… I suppose Major will appreciate it in the end, she loves the game, because it lets her train her mana control… though I guess you'd never be able to play with us…" said Minor shaking her head.
"Anyway the rules are rather simple at the end of the day, it's the details that start to get complicated. See, it all starts with the gameboard…