Sleepyhead

Chapter 2; Town of Purgatory

"It won't respond to orders. It does its own thing, no matter what."
"And what do you say we do about it?"
"The other EI units worked just fine. What's up with this one?"
"Shut it down. It won't be any use."
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As Lori stepped in through the gates, she felt like she had entered a new world. The eerie silence other than the Gateskeeper outside had morphed into chatter and conversations all around her. Many spirits, some not even human, passed through the pale blue sidewalks. Buildings that twisted and turned as they rose higher and higher into the sky lined the town. Between every 5 buildings, a dark, nearly pitch black alley was located. Up on the path was a crossroads with arrow signs.  One read "CASTLE", which pointed straight ahead. A large tower, made of stone and something that looked like solidified mercury was far far ahead. Another read "GATES," just pointing back from where she came. The other two signs were crossed out fully. She sighed a heavy sigh and decided to just head left. The paths began dwindling into a dimly glowing cyan dirt, and large trees that never ended sprouted tall around her. It seemed the farther she went, the more she felt like she was being watched.
"Mind telling me why you're here, human?" A female voice with a slight echo rose right behind her.
"Do NOT sneak up on me like that, god! It's like nobody here has manne--" When she turned, she didn't know what she was looking at. It was a spirit, yes, but very unlike what she was seeing. It was a spirit whose body was a floating cylinder, thinning into a point as it got closer to the ground. A smaller pointed cylinder acted as the neck as well. On each, four green rings, growing smaller the closer they were to the point of the shape were floating just inches from touching it. Its 'hands' were just 5 blue floating finger-shaped rods. What scared her, however, was the fact that this being's head was a large eye with a pink iris. It seemed this was just a hologram, however.
"Well? Answer my question, human!"
"I was wandering around and ended up here. I'm searching for people to help me out on a mission The Gateskeeper assigned me." The holographic eye widened.
"The Gateskeeper? He assigned y-you a mission? Do you realize how much of an honor that is? I'd be willing to go along! I'm Kiri. EI united. Declared useless because I didn't follow every single order that was given to me." Lori raised an eyebrow.
"I was assassinated. I have no idea by who, but it was by someone. I know that much."
"Assassination, huh..Alright, then? Can we get GOING now? What's the mission?"
"Slaying Lord Dimrock."
Kiri nearly dropped from her levitating state. "I-I beg y-your pardon? Slaying the Lord? Sounds like a death wish! Then again, we're all dead already..alright, fine. Where do we start?"
Lori smiled. "We start by picking up a few more people."
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