Author: ShyStone, Posted: Sat Sep 1, 2018 12:56 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

   CHAPTER 2: ESCAPE-  END

 

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 7:57 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kamri instinctively took a step back, drawing out her knife for defense at Peabody’s outburst. ‘How dare she? Ungrateful?!’ She was just sold to slavery by that man lying in the sand below. When she called out for help, he merely stood there and watched. He probably enjoyed the reward from it too! Did he honestly think she would welcome them with open arms?
Why where they here anyway? Where they making a deal with Drien for some other poor slave?
The captain’s body stirred, taking her attention off the ex-solider for a moment and onto the man who had gotten her into this mess. For a moment, a brief moment, his eyes fell on her. She could have sworn she saw tears well up in his eyes. Surprise and confusion snuck their way past her initial defenses. She quickly fell back to her survivalist mind. She wouldn’t let them take advantage of her. Not again.

An arrow streaked by, hitting the sand next to her foot. She looked up at the top of the cliff, archers sending their arrows down from above.
She had no time for this, she had to leave. She had no problems with Peabody nor twinkle, she had no reason to wish for their death. But if their damn captain was so damn important to them, then she would let him live. That meant peacefully allowing them all onto the boat.

She swirled around, about the bark the order for everyone to board the boat, but it was the captain who gave the order first. She grit her teeth, chocking down her anger. She would get on the boat, and be dropped off. She didn’t want to have to stay longer than necessary.

Everyone clambered onto the boat with some gear and whatever they could carry. Kamri followed the masses, climbing on as everyone began to push and pull the boat with magic.
Right, magic.
She looked down at the bracers that kept her from casting. This was yet another problem she would have to overcome.
She stood on the deck and watched at the boat slowly pulled from the shore, leaving the flaming cliff behind.
The wounded moaned and the uninured cried in both relief and sorrow.

Cel was with a girl with a bow, Peabody and Twinkle where off with Ed. everyone else was in their own groups.

She walked to the back of the boat to watch the cliff shrink in the distance. She watched the flames lick up the remains of the trees and the slave house that became her prison for a little too long.
She sat, still feeling the heat from the flame tickle her skin as it was slowly dragged away by the cool sea air.
Back turned and wounds bleeding, she allowed herself to quietly cry and let go.
She was ready to leave.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 5:10 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

She watched from the ship as two figures emerged from the cliff. They were both small, one of them was obviously a kobold. The others had been calling her Fieri, ever since she had spoken with the stone girl. The name of the ship she was on right now was also the Fieri… What was the meaning behind that? The name was fine, she supposed. She had an arrow drawn, following the two figures as they approached. The kobold immediately came to the ship and began petting it, fondly. Interesting. Their people stuck underground for the most part, save for the few aquatic species. It would make sense, then, that this one would know how to sail. The other figure continued onward to where the slaver knelt, bound. She considered firing on the girl but her actions were acceptable. She killed the man, the slaver who had caused so much harm. He wasn't the one who had captured her but they were all as bad as each other. One less slaver was a good thing. Then she began proclaiming insanity and the urge to release the arrow became stronger… Until the tip of a spear rested against her throat. Interesting. The little kobold was stealthy, wasn't he. She relaxed the string, letting the bow droop. He hissed something at her, she shrugged back at him. There was a bit of a communication issue building here, she could see it already.

Peabody fussed over the captain. He had already performed triage on the soldiers and slaves, finding the ones still fit enough, and with the knowledge to man the ship. With them he sent Fieri. Twinkle refused to leave the captain's side, and Fieri, well Fieri had earned his trust. The slaves and mercenaries had done a good job, but he didn't know them. He didn't know the girl either but… He couldn't explain it. There were eight other people on the beach with him, Twinkle and the captain. Five of those were injured, sitting or laying down around the captain. None of their own people had died though, which was a miracle. Of the five, they would all recover. The remaining three were a bit of an honor guard. Former slaves who wanted to make sure the captain was okay. It warmed his heart to see it. Of the twenty that had taken the beach with them, none of them had wanted to leave. Some of them he suspected just wanted the money that selling the ship would bring in. Others gave the impression that they saw a cause they could gather behind. They could afford to relax, down here. Take their time. Head back up to the compound and take care of the slaves, then return to the city with the ship. Or maybe it would be better for everyone if they just loaded up the ship with all the slaves and took them to another port… A fancy, to be sure. But something that Peabody allowed himself to daydream about as he waited for the captain to regain consciousness. Something floated down, landing on the back of his hand. Strange… It looked like… Ash? He looked up at the cliff above to see the glow of flames. What was going on up…

A voice cut through the night air. A familiar one, even if he hadn't heard it in a while. His head spun, the fire forgotten, to look down the beach at the approaching figure. It was the girl, he was sure of it. He had always been good with names, faces, voices. They stuck with him. There she was, the one they had been searching for. The only reason the had kept the slaver alive was to find her. What impossible circumstances had occurred that led her to finding them, though? He smiled wide, standing, not even noticing that Ed was stirring beneath him. Then her words sunk in. What the devil was she talking about? They had done all of this for her, and she was…

"Why, you ungrateful little-" before he could finish the thought, the sound of someone clearing their throat beneath him cut him off. 
"Peabody, if you wouldn't mind, could you help me to my feet?" Peabody looked down, embarrassed.
"Of course, sir."

***

Gavin had regrouped with all of his men. Not a single man lost, but fires set and chaos sewn. From up here he could see into the city, seeing fires scattered here and there. Something was definitely going on down there, but he couldn't let that concern him. He had a lot of slaves following him now. They had saved the ones they could. Others took off alone, not trusting him and his men. Others refused to move, too scared and broken by their time here. He could only save the ones that wanted to be saved. The truth was harsh. He glanced around, seeing a group of men gathered along the cliff edge. There were a lot of them there… And the rest of his people were down there. They would be massacred by the guards who could easily pick off anyone down below with bows and magic. He turned, looking at the slaves and back at the guards. He didn't have time to think a decision through completely. "Dave, take the slaves and the others and get out of here. Don't stop for anyone. Get them… Get them anywhere. Out of the city. Send a couple of boys to Thrustbunion's, he'll know what to do with them. But don't stop moving. Keep them safe." Orders given, received, and followed, Gavin was left there alone with a crossbow. He took a deep breath and ran into range, picking out one guard. They were all the same, really. He fired, hit his target, then shouted to get the attention of the others.

Burt had been holding his breath for a while now, until he began chatting with Nose. They had been following the sewers, not even knowing where they would lead them. If they would even lead them out of here. The torches would last a while yet but Burt kept looking for any signs of an exit coming up. He should have taken the one at that T junction, that looked like it would have led right outside. But it would also have led him directly to the beach beneath the cliffs. That was a little too close to danger for his tastes. The subject of what to do next came up. "How do you feel about snow?"

***Ed got to his feet, stiffly, aided by Peabody. There she was, the girl with the burns. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He had missed what she said, but he was just happy to see her. She looked filthy, and bloody, but she was alive. In one piece. He let out a breath, not even feeling the tightness from the broken ribs any more. He opened his mouth to say something when an arrow landed in the sand next to him. His eyes darted up to the cliff above. There were an awful lot of soldiers up there. Some of them were turning away, but there were still plenty with bows pointing down at the beach. More arrows began to fall, luckily missing people. That kind of luck couldn't remain with them. "Get to the ship!" He shouted, bending to help up the injured mercenary next to him. As arrows began to fall like rain, everyone began to run.

One person took an arrow on the way to the ship, and Ed remained on the beach until everyone else was aboard. Fieri had tried to return fire, but with her current bow the distance was just too far. It took some magic from Twinkle and a few others, even Ed throwing in whatever telekinesis he could, to move the ship. Soon enough they were in the water. He turned, then, to look for the girl, taking the mask from his face and lowering the hood.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:07 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Moving the boulders was a difficult task on it’s own. It took strength and stamina- both things which Cel and Kamri did not have. Not to mention the injuries Kamri sustained and the fatigue Celery had to battle, the task was near impossible. The only reasonable explanation was desperation and adrenaline.
They had found a way to open a small opening though, just big enough to squeeze in through. They would have loved to take a moment and rest, but they knew time was running short. They kept moving.

The sewers where disgusting. Inside was dark and dreary and smelled horrible.
Kamri covered her Nose, letting Cel guide her. She wanted to tell him about what had happened and how she had been trying to find him but right now staying quiet was crucial.
There was the looming threat that the sewers would end in a wall or a crumbled tunnel but not trying at all would have guaranteed death.
Kamri felt the pain throb in her shoulder. She felt weak and tired. Seems her bandage job was far from perfect.

The constant sound of water dripping and the tapping on their feet where the only things one could hear. She just hoped it wasn’t enough to be tracked down. Those two guards would be hot on their heels and they were in much better shape than they were. Kamri had hoped that possibly this would be the last time she saw them. Already she had fought them once and fled as well. She was getting tired of their gimmicks. She was glad Celery was there to blind them. She herself would have never thought of that and if it weren’t for his quick thinking they would both be dead by now.

The sound of shouts shook her from her thoughts. Had they been found?
No, no they had not. Those shouts came from the other side of the sewer, not from where they had entered. It opened somewhere else. Hope surged within Kamri. There was an exit! She just hoped it was outside the slave compound.

There was a ‘T’ turn up ahead. Celery quickened pace and rushed to the turnoff. The left led to darkness. The right-
The right lead to a beach. The only beach nearby was the one under the cliff. Kamri had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. They had made it!
A grate covered the exit but it proved weak when tested. Celery and Kamri nudged their shoulders into it, ramming their bodies full force, opening it on the second try.
It fell open with a clank and hit the sand below. They both jumped down into the sand.

“Cel!” Kamri knelt down and hugged him tightly. “We’re out! We made it out!” Her shoulder seared with pain but she didn’t care. She opened her eyes, letting him go, trying to contain her bust of excitement and joy. Celery backed off a little, huffing awkwardly and shrinking away. Kamri smiled sadly at him. Ah, her bad.

It wasn’t until then that she noticed the scene in front of her. Bodies laid across the beach in every which direction. So this was what had happened. There was an attack.
A few stood, and a few pairs still even fought, but it seems the battle had ended with too many bodies to tell who the clear winners where.
Celery brushed himself off, sneezing from the dirt that flew into the air.
They were out of the compound, but not yet free.
Kamri spotted the ship on the shore.
“Come on. That ship is our way out. Do you happen to know how to sail?”
Cel snorted. “HIzzikxx!”
Right. She would take that as a solid maybe.
Her confusion must have been evident as Celery rolled his eyes and shook his head, already walking to the boat.
Kamri followed in tow, ready to get out of this hell of a town. Where would she go now? Did Cel have a place to go? She wouldn’t worry about that now. She would think about it once they were safe to sea.

A groan escaped the lips of someone to her right. Kamri glanced over, seeing a group of guards tied together sitting on the sand. Among them, was Drien.
“Celery, give me a minute.” Celery clicked, walking up to the ship to inspect it and make sure the coast was clear.

Kamri walked to the pile of guards, stopping in front of a barely conscious Drein.
She sat down in front of him, lifting his chin up with the blade so he would look her in the eyes.
“This is hardly the sight I want to see before I die.” Drien Spat in her face. Kamri had a good look at the man in front of her. 
“You’ve caused me a lot of pain.” He had bruises and scrapes, cuts and even a few bites. This man was worse for wear. “You’ve caused a lot of people pain.” She removed the blade and placed her hand around his neck. She pressed her thumb into his throat and forced his head back. He gagged, trying to breathe.
“This one is for all those poor girls you touched and hurt.” She used the blade to pierce his chest. The air left his lungs and he started to shake. Kamri pulled it out and raised it again.
“This one is for Celery.”
Another stab to the gut. He started to spit blood.
“This one is for all the slaves you hurt, bought, sold, and traded.”
She stabbed him again. He stopped responding aside from a few twitches.
“And this one is for me.”
She stuck the blade deep into his right shoulder and dragged it down into his chest and out. He tried to say something, tried to free himself but failed when he found he couldn’t move. The other guards looked at Kamri in horror. This was the sight Drien had come to love so much. Kamri found it hollow.

He shook for a while, blood pouring from his mouth and his wounds. Kamri stood back up and watched as he died, bloody corpse bleeding into the sand.

Kamri turned back to the ship, intending to help Cel scout it out. She noticed a familiar man in the corner of her eye, with a small stone golem.
Peabody and Twinkle fussed over someone laying in the sand. Kamri felt a mixture of emotion. She had no problems with either person- they hadn’t sold her. 

She walked to the group, realizing she probably looked rather ghastly. Pale, covered in dirt and mud. Not to mention her newfound scar. She wondered if she was recognizable. Then again, her previous scars stayed the same, so maybe it wasn’t a totally new look.
She placed a hand on Peabody’s shoulder, asking for his attention. She noticed the body was no other than Ed, still alive. Anger bubbled up inside of her. She turned to Peabody for answers.
“What are you doing here?” She seethed through her teeth. The only thing standing in her way from killing that man was Peabody himself. She knew she could never take him on in a fight. She figured she would give them the chance to at least explain. She didn’t give them that chance for their sake, though. It was for her own.
“If I were you, I would take Ed and leave. He doesn’t sit well with me. I’m taking the boat too. I hope you have another way out of here.”

—

Nose and Burt had been fumbling around in the tunnel for a while. They figured the slave girl and the Kobold had escaped a while ago. The whole compound was probably under flames and destruction by now.
“It’s been a long couple o’… days? Weeks?” Nose and Burt could see by their torchlight, but they didn’t know where the exit was. Part of him had given up on pursuing the girl or the Kobold.
“This was meant tah’ be somewhat relaxing of a sort but I’m thinkin’ of quitting. Taking a long Rest. I’m not too sure, though.”
Silence carried between the two of them for a while. Nose opened up the question to his companion. “Well, a rest is happenin’ either way. Know of any good places tah’ go?”
It would be a long walk. Nose wasn’t one for talking often but he felt somewhat of a pull to do it today. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the sewer. Or the rats. Nose didn’t care.

—

Nedarius watched from the top of the cliff as the girl and Kobold escaped onto the beach.
“No!” He hissed. “My prize! The blood! The body! It won’t escape!” He had no way to get down quickly. If he was fast, he could make it to the beach and stop her before she escaped. No one else would have access to her. She was his enjoyment and no one else’s. If anyone were to-
An arrow struck him in the back. He stumbled forward towards the cliff.
Balls.
He fell down, face first into the sand, dying on impact.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:05 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Gavin had been contracted by the funny little dwarf with the funny little name to do this job. His life had been one interesting turn after another which had all added up to him finding himself here, in a city full of pirates hiring himself out as muscle and a mercenary. He was good enough that he could pick and choose which jobs he wanted to take, and moral enough that he only took the jobs that weren't downright evil. He recognised many of the others he had been working with the last few hours from previous contracts. It seemed like whoever had hired them all was cherry picking the mercenaries in the city who weren't complete bastards for this job. He had seen flyers for other contracts being handed around but the dwarf… Well, the dwarf had offered him a deal he just couldn't refuse. Do this job, take a hefty bonus and some time off. Yeah, he could do this. So far, the job had been easy, very little resistance from any of the guards who were meant to be in this compound. If he was honest, the lack of resistance made him a little uneasy, but being in charge of the other nine men he couldn't let that show. He needed to exude an air of confidence.

They had released the slaves from the main house, where the slaver lived. They were trailing along behind them right now, giving them whispered advice about where to avoid. It turned out there was a building not far off that was the sleeping quarters for all the guards. If there was going to be a counterattack, it was possible it would come from there. Two men were dispatched there to scout it out, see if there was any danger and deal with it if they could. Fire was suggested as a diversionary tactic. A good idea, but not just for the guard's quarters. Two more men were left to ensure the house was empty, liberate anything of worth and burn the rest. He knew the man in yellow had gone on down through a tunnel beneath the house, but there would likely be other ways for him to get back. Gavin's main focus, right now, was to free the slaves and find the girl with the burn scars.

None of the slaves they freed from the main house could tell him where the girl might be. Some suggested the slaver might have taken her with him. If that was true, Yellow and his company would soon get her back. If it wasn't then that where Gavin and his five companions came into play. Three, after he dispatched two more to free the slaves from the quarters positioned near the fig fields. That left the larger slave quarters, the one by the mines. Four men, and the freed women headed towards it.

Nedarius had been the commander of the guards before those two southerners had arrived, throwing their weight around, taking control of things. Look what had come of that! A disaster! Ned knew exactly how to take care of this though, that he did. There would need to be a culling of the slaves after they were done kicking the intruders in the arse. Too many slaves and too few guards was a bad recipe. The one good thing that southerner had done was to bring in more men the day before. They hadn't been patrolling, still being new to the compound. Meant Ned had him some bodies to work with, along with those who had been off shift. Thirty men, in total. If they could gather up any of the surviving patrols outside, they would all stick together and come down hard on the bastards who were attacking. Ned licked his lips at the thought of all the blood he would get to spill tonight. That of his enemies, and of the slaves. He'd had his eye on one in particular. A new girl, all scarred up. Nobody would miss her, since her skin was marked like that. Meant he could have some fun with her before killing her. He was looking forward to that.

Celery backed down the side tunnel keeping the human girl, Thirteen, behind him. He regretted never getting to know her real name, especially since it looked like they were about to die. He had thought quickly, dousing the light and relying on his own ability to see in the dark to gain them the advantage. The truth was bad though. Against two armed and armored opponents, while he was still weak from hunger, he didn't think he would be able to succeed. He would try, though. For the girl. She had been here, trying to escape without him, but that could be forgiven. Just because she hadn't cared enough about him to try and find him when he himself had risked his life… She hadn't turned him in though. That was loyalty enough to be rewarded in turn with loyalty of his own. He could hear the voices and stumbling coming from outside this little offshoot, what had once been his only hope for freedom. He had the girl with him now. With two of them, could they escape still? The two guards, the same two who had taken the girl away days before suspiciously enough, hadn't come down the tunnel yet. A brief thought flashed through his mind, quickly subdued. He didn't think it likely they were using him to clear the blockage. They were obviously much larger and stronger than he was. He decided that now was the time to take a risk. Turning, he gently put his hands on the girl to guide Thirteen back towards the blockage. It might be hard, what with her not being able to see, but they would try. At the very least, he would hear the two guards coming up the tunnel behind him and would be able to turn in time to defend them. He hoped.

Burt cursed, dropping his sword to rub the dirt out his eyes. The lizard had used a dirty trick! Cursing loudly, tears streaming down his face, he began to grope blindly in the darkness in an attempt to find Nose. He hoped Nose wouldn't brain him with that club he had seen him briefly holding moments before. His hands met with an armored chest, running over it for maybe a few second longer than was exactly necessary. Nose was there, and he wasn't swinging the club. Good news.

"Hey, is there still that box of torches back there? Yeah? I'm going to go grab one. See if you can get yours lit, but stay here to make sure those two don't escape."

It took him a few precious minutes to fumble his way back in the darkness. His night vision had been ruined by the light from the torch, however briefly it had been there, and now his eyes were taking their sweet time in adjusting back to the dark. He found the box of torches, produced a flint and steel from his pocket and set to work. A second thought had him reaching back into the box to grab and light a second torch, for Nose, just in case he hadn't managed to get his lit again. Wasn't like he had a sword to hold right now anyway. He'd need to fetch that, wouldn't he?

There was a light up ahead as he rounded the corner. Ah, so Nose had got his lit then. There he was, standing there with that goofy grin on his face, holding Burt's sword in one hand and his own club in the other. The torch was planted firmly in the ground next to him. Burt had to take a moment to appreciate the sight of Nose standing there in the flickering light of a torch, like an avenging angel holding those weapons. He sighed, a gentle sound escaping his throat, before shaking himself out of it. They had business to attend to, slaves to find. There was no way he was letting those two escape, especially not that girl a second time.

The search of the tunnels took fifteen minutes before Nose called attention to a tunnel, a small entrance leading off to the side. There was a lot of dirt piled around the entrance, almost as if it had been hidden until recently. Mighty suspicious, Burt had to agree with Nose on that score. They entered the tunnel, Burt leading the way with sword drawn. There, up ahead, there was a strong smell of sewage building. Large boulders began to litter the tunnel, then. What had they stumbled across, he wondered. Was this an escape tunnel for the slaves? If it was, it could be their ticket out of the massacre going on above.

The tunnel was cramped, causing Ed to have to duck low to traverse it. Some of his people had produced torches and small lanterns and were making their way down carefully, but Ed, Fieri and Twinkle and rushed down ahead as fast as they could. It seemed they all had the ability to adjust their eyes to the darkness magically. Handy trick, that was. If only Peabody had been able to do the same. Someone had to stay with the troops, though. Who better than the manservant turned general? The fact that Twinkle and Fieri had decided to come on ahead with him was comforting, at least he wasn't alone. At the same time, though, he worried for both of them. He still didn't know a lot about the slave girl, and Twinkle… Well, Twinkle was just a small little thing. Far too precious to be dragging into danger. There was no time to argue the point with her though, not with the slaver escaping ahead of them. He had thought he could see a faint light ahead upon entering the steeply descending tunnel, but either it had been his imagination or whoever had been producing it had already exited the tunnel. He hoped it was the former, because if it had been the latter then he was a way behind his prey.

The tunnel finally leveled out and there, up ahead, was a lightening in the darkness. The exit was up ahead! With a laugh, he put on a burst of speed, appearing into the night air onto a sandy beach. The moons above provided him with enough light to see the men arrayed to his right, further down the beach, with bows and wands pointed his way. Balls. There was just enough time to see things start flying towards him before his world tilted.

He found himself on the floor, having been tugged back violently from behind, most of the way back into the tunnel. Arrows landed where he had been stood just a second before, and spells flew by. He looked up to see his savior, having expected it to be Peabody for some reason but instead seeing the slave girl. Fieri. He nodded his thanks to her and then scrambled back into the safety of the tunnel. Looking back up there, he could see the soldiers were close, but with them all being pinned inside there was nothing that could be done. Ed cursed under his breath, trying to think of a way to distract the enemies arrayed against him.

While Ed was deep in thought, Twinkle slipped her obsidian wand out of her robe, along with the black cat Stubble. She handed the cat to Fieri, and strode out into the open. Arrows came flying at her, though they didn't make her scared. The spells would, but she had to hope the guards didn't have a large enough mana pool to be throwing spells around quickly, one after another. If she was right, she had a few seconds. If she was wrong. Well, she would just have to believe she wouldn't be wrong. Calling upon her own magic, she brought wind to the beach, whipping up the sand into a small whirlwind around the guards down the beach. They would be blinded, temporarily. But long enough she hoped.

Ed cried out, seeing Twinkle struck by arrows. He rushed forward, leaping past her and running at the guards assembled to give them a different target. Behind him, he could hear Fieri getting into position herself, and the sounds of dozens of feet moving from stone to sand. His own soldiers were close behind him, but time wasn't on his side if he was going to save Twinkle. He flooded his body with magic, increasing his speed and strength to his limits. He could feel a tearing in his shoulder and arm, stitches coming apart. He had an axe in one hand and a knife in the other. An arrow flew past him, coming from behind. Then a bolt. Random arrows came past him from in front, but none were close to hitting him. The next thing he knew, he was in the middle of all the guards.

Ed opened his eyes, blearily, looking around him. Was he dead? There was just a dark void above him… With a scattering of glowing objects… Stars? He was alive, then, lying on his back. His head hurt like crazy, and his body was on fire in too many places to count. With a groan, he rolled onto his side to see what was going on around him. Others why lying next to him, injured from the looks of them. Was that a ship, there, out to sea? It was close to the beach… Drien's escape plan. Speaking of which, where was the bastard?

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 12:03 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Nose looked across the battlefield for Burt, seeing no one.
A bolt shot across his face, letting him feel the air as it passed by. It was too dangerous to sit around here. He had to start moving.
He quickly ducked out of battle, running to find his companion. Where would he have gone? The safest bet would be the slave house construction wise but it was the heart of the camp currently being attacked. No, Burt wouldn’t go there.

The mines would be a good choice. A dark maze to hide out in until everything blew over. Yes, of course. It was perfect. He would check there first. Grabbing a discarded club, Nose made his way to the quarry.

—

Kamri heaved her body up from the floor of the tunnel. Now what? She thought about scaling the Cliffside but it would be hopeless. The front gates where dangerous right now, too. And the fences she would never get over.
She had decided the best course of action would be to wait and see if these attackers are friend or foe.
She stood and dusted off her pants. Time to head back and do some snooping around.
She heard footprints. Had she been caught? Discovered? She had forgotten to replace the wall.
She tried to devise a plan for the attacker. Would she just doge and try and run? She had the knife.
But with an injured shoulder, she wasn’t sure how much she could do.
She would be stealthy, creeping along the wall. When she got to the opening she could jump out the surprise the guard, hopefully offing him in one quick slash.
She pressed her back against the wall, waiting and listening.

One more step, now.

She lept from the mouth of the cave, Drien’s knife raised above her head ready to strike. She brought the blade down, aiming for the neck. She stopped just in time, the point scratching the scales of the shape in front of her.
She made out the silhouette of a small reptilian man. She dropped the knife. “Celery?” She whispered.
She smiled wide. “I thought you were caught or transferred! Or, or!” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay! Are you ready to get out of here?”

Celery looked up and hissed gently, giving Kamri a toothy grin. Relief washed over her. Finally, they could get out.

Someone ran around the corner, rushing at them at reckless abandon. Kamri pulled out her knife, Cel took a defensive stance. There was a light and a second pair of footsteps that followed.

—

Nose reached the mines, knowing that Burt was smart enough to hide here. He had his doubts when he noticed two bodies, both dressed in armor. Who did that? The resilience hadn’t come this far quite yet.
Worry edged his thoughts as he descended deeper into the quarry. Maybe he would have to be more on guard than he thought.
He found a box full of torches by the entrance. He grabbed one and lit it, preparing to go deeper into the mines.

He had not thought about just how many different routes there were to take. No light came from any direction, so maybe Burt wasn’t down here after all. Then again he could also just be hiding.

“Celery?”

He heard a familiar voice. He didn’t know who it belonged to but the voice grated on his ears.
It gave him a lead, though. If not to Burt then to some slaves that where obviously out past hours. He stomped down the hallway, towards the sound.

—

The light shone into the tunnel to reveal the newcomers.
“Burt!” the second man yelled as he rounded the corner. “Slow down! I’ve been lookin’ fer yah. We should-“
The brute stopped, seeing both Kamri and Cel. He looked at his partner, apparently named Burt, catching his breath.
“Ah, this is why you where chasin’ down the tunnel. I remember the girl.” He took a moment to breathe. Looked like another fight.
Kamri stood tall. “Back off! We’re armed and ready to fight.”
Nose chuckled. “Not without magic, mage.”
Celery acted quickly, swerving around and hitting the ground with his tail, sending up a plume of dirt and dust. Nose and Burt shielded their eyes from the attack, not realizing it has also extinguished their torch.
Celery grabbed Kamri’s hand and pulled her into the side tunnel. If they played their cards right, they could hide deep into the darkness, or Celery could sneak attack them from behind.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:45 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Ed stood panting, hands on his thighs as he bent double, trying to catch his breath. That run uphill had taken a lot out of him, and right there at the last second he had almost run into a man. That knife throw, though. That had been something special. He was quite proud of himself. Blowing out his breath, he tried to stand up straight and take in the situation around him. Nope, still needed a second to get his wind back. Twinkle, appearing out of the darkness, almost gave him a heart attack as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He spun in place, fumbling heroically for a throwing knife before seeing those glowing green eyes. That could have gone terribly wrong for her. If he had reacted just a little faster then he could have killed her! He told her as much, and was met with a blank stare.

Peabody and the new girl dispatched the injured guards, finishing up as the rest of Ed's troops entered the compound. He strode over, taking command of the situation, but at the same time trying to nonchalantly check the corpses for weapons. It seemed he had forgotten to pick one up before leaving and all he had now was throwing knives. An axe looked like a nice candidate. He scooped it up, giving it a couple of practice swings as his little army formed up. He was no military expert, but he did believe they had successfully gained the element of surprise here. Spinning in place, he turned to face the men, his cape twirling majestically. What he saw was ten crossbows aimed directly at him. What the-

"Sir, please duck." came Peabody's voice from the side.

Ed dropped immediately, hearing the sound of ten strings loosing bolts. His head shot up then to see then man he hadn't even noticed were charging. Looked to be near a dozen of them, far as he could tell. Approaching from what looked like a house in the distance. The bolts took out a few of the guards but the rest just kept on coming. His own hired hands got into position, reading themselves to meet the guards. Shields were raised, spears lowered, and two more of the guards dropped to arrows from Fieri. Incredible. As two more realised how their numbers had dropped, and what they were coming up against, they slowed to a halt. The three that actually made it to the lines of soldiers didn't last more than a couple of seconds. They had no solid figure for how many guards would be in the compound, but already it looked like they were cutting through them with ease. They would go to that house first, see Drien. Have a little conversation with him and find the girl.

Celery approached the slave quarters carefully. He could hear more fighting but couldn't afford to waste the time finding out what was going on. Most likely it was a feud between slavers. The best case scenario would see all the slaves transferred to a new owner, worst case would see them all killed to avoid there being any witnesses. Suddenly it became even more important for them to escape tonight. Since she wasn't at the house she would have to be in the slave quarters. It made sense. They questioned her and then returned her here days ago. There was nobody around as he approached, which was suspicious in itself. He tasted the air, but over all the other smells around here he couldn't pick up on anything in particular. He hissed. He would just need to be prepared for anything. His grip on the spear tightened as he entered the slave quarters.

He searched her room, and then his own. She wasn't here. He went room to room, then, pulling back the bars to unlock the doors. All the slaves seemed nervous, too scared to move. Hissing again, he turned and left the slave quarters, feeling hollow inside. They killed her. It was the only explanation. If any of these slaves escaped, it would cause more commotion. It could be just the distraction needed, on top of whatever else was going on, to provide him a chance at escape through the tunnel. He would need a pickaxe. Perhaps he could break the rocks apart himself, the sound of it covered by the battle. At this point, though, he was struggling to see why he should even bother. If he had been a little faster, a little more decisive, well the girl might be alive right now. The two of them could have escaped days ago. If only he had been faster.

Celery trudged out of the slave quarters and made his way towards the pit, clawed feet dragging along the ground. He made his way sullenly down, not even concentrating on keeping an eye out for guards. As he reached the bottom, a shape caught his attention. There was a body… That of a guard. There, a little further away was another… Someone had been down here already. His grip tightened on his spear again as he suddenly found himself on edge. He moved quickly, keeping low, approaching the tunnel that led to his own secret tunnel. Which was open to the world. They had found it. That was why they had killed her. Probably killed the guards that hadn't noticed him doing it, too. That would explain the bodies.

Burt looked around as he approached the slave quarters. A head was poked out, looking around. As soon as the slave caught sight of Burt they darted back inside though. There was no time to deal with the slaves. He had to find somewhere to hunker down, at least until things had quietened down. Some would call it cowardice, yes. But Burt was just being realistic. There was nothing an old thug with a bad knee was going to do back there that could change the course of battle. The compound was compromised. It was all over for Drien's compound. Perhaps the boss would want to take it back, when the time was right. That wasn't any of Burt's concern right now though. If he could find Nose, maybe the two of them would take a little vacation. His sister lived down in Itjivut. Sure it would be a little chilly, but he had a feeling Nose would like it down there. Yes, that's just what they would do. All he needed was to find Nose first. He sure hoped he wasn't back there getting himself into trouble. That thought was enough to make him pause. He was making a mistake, he had to turn back and find Nose, form a better defense. He wasn't a coward. It wasn't too late..

A shadow at the edge of the pit caught his attention. It was small, carrying a spear. Burt noticed the tail… It was a kobold. It was The kobold. Burt growled in the back of his throat, drawing his sword, sneaking up behind the kobold to follow him into the pit.

Ed had tried to keep up with the others and do his part in this attack, but after the first scuffle with a few guards who ambushed them from the darkness it became obvious he was in no shape for it. His injuries just weren't healed enough yet. The tightness in his arm and chest were too much for him to attack freely. If it came to it, he could use his magic to fuel himself but there was no need right now. Their superior numbers were telling, and there hadn't been any resistance that they couldn't brush aside so far. The house was just ahead and hopefully Drien would be inside.

Aside from the slaves left behind, the house was empty. "So you're saying there is a secret tunnel…" The house slaves had been extremely helpful when they discovered Ed and his company weren't there to harm them. In fact, it turned out they hated the slaver so much they were more than happy to give Ed as many details as they could think of. Drien had taken a lot of men with him, down through the tunnel to wherever it led. In the end, Ed decided he could spare ten men to help the slaves. There were other places where slaves were kept, and he had instructed them to keep an eye out for a girl with burn scars on her face. At the mention of this, one of the slaves stepped forwards.
"I… I think I know who you are talking about, sir. She was only here for a couple of days. Drien, well, he had a fascination with her for some reason. I don't know what happened to her." Ed's vision blanked for a moment, anger coursing through him. Drien had probably taken her with him. He would catch the bastard. He'd kill him himself.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:37 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

She waited hours, watching the patterns of the patrol routes to try and determine the best opening. When she found it was near impossible, she would wait for the next shift, and try and find a way past the new group, hoping something new would pop up.
Her waiting seemed to pay off, as she noticed one of the guards had left. Bathroom break. This left a small time gap where she could shimmy in through the windows that normally locked from the outside. To keep someone in, the windows were effective. To keep someone out was a different story.

She walked quietly, staying in the shadows. The sun had set by this point and she could confidently sneak around, edging closer to the building. She waited for her chance then crept out, half running to the building. She had eight, maybe nine seconds before she was discovered.
She fiddled with the lock, clicking it open. She pushed herself up and in, escaping just as the glow of the guard’s torch rounded the corner and bathed the wall in light.
Kamri now fully inside, she slowly and quietly shut the window before the guard passed.

She knew this room was empty. She knew because it was hers.
Looking at the wall though, it was obvious it had been found. It was clumsily boarded over from the outside. She cursed under her breath. Then what became of Cel?
She slowly began to work away the boards, pulling them lose and wriggling them free.

She worked meticulously, being careful not to make a sound.
It was difficult to do with a bad shoulder, it forced her to move twice as slow trying her best only to use her good arm.
Damn that Drien.

She popped open the last board and climbed inside, sucking in her stomach and squeezing in best she could. She inched her way to Cel’s room, listening for anyone who may be in any room adjacent. She heard some snoring and the clank of some armor, but nothing too close that gave her a scare.

She reached his room, adrenaline pumping. Please be here, please be here!
The bed laid empty, and the room eerily silent.
Her shoulders drooped. Did he leave? Was he killed? Moved, perhaps?

Only one real way to find out. She would have to go to the mines and figure it out there. If it remained untouched, chances are he was moved to another location, or worse. If it was open, it means he had made an escape. With luck, maybe he had left and the entrance was still unfound.

The process to getting out was the same as getting in. Kamri waited in the dark, counting the times light hit the window. She knew to leave on the fourth round.

two, three-

She opened the window and made her way out, duking into the underbrush just as the guard rounded the corner again. She took a moment to clear her head and to think. She had made it in and out. Now one variable stood in her way.
Her moment of peace was interrupted by the sound of yelling and screaming, coming from the front gate.

—

Zazel had bailed the second he did a headcount. He jumped into the water and swam to safety, letting the rest of the assassins get overpowered and killed.

He narrowly avoided death that time. And for what? His target wasn’t even there!
He groaned, slogging his body up onto the docks and inching away. What a long night.

He would go back to the inn. He was tired and fresh out of spunk. He needed to recharge.
He would go after Ed tomorrow. He wouldn’t be able to leave within a day’s notice, right?
Right. He had time.

He could smell the smoke all the way back to his in. The pier burned spectacularly, though he didn’t look back at the fire and flames, all the cool people didn’t look at it.
God, he was a stud.

He pushed the door open, placing his eyes on an empty table. He closed the door behind him and took a stride over. Sitting down, he kicked back, and ordered a drink for himself. He deserved it after all.

Yes, he would try again later. And, yes, he was giving up- but only for tonight! After a recharge, he would be back at it.

–

Kamri had made her way down into the mines. She had been caught on the way down twice but had managed to push both guards into the pit that was the quarry before they could call out. Lucky her.
Trekking down wasn’t as easy as It sounded. At least, not quietly. It was a long trip which went without much cover. But lucky for her it seemed the two guards where the only ones who cared to give her an issue.

The tunnels where dark and unlit. She had to feel her way in, and try to get used to the dark. Normally they would be lit at night but it seemed under lockdown they didn’t deem it necessary. Too bad for her.
Trying to find the sewer was difficult. Twice she had gone the wrong way only to realize it far too late and have to hike back.
But with some luck – and allowing her eyes to adjust- she found her way through. She found the all too familiar wall that crumbled when interacted with. Though, that gave her chills. Since the wall was still up, it seemed the last time it was used someone must have exited and sealed it back up. Running down into the darkness, Kamri’s worst fears where confirmed.
The exit still lay blocked.

She sat down on her knees. Did Cel die? Where was he?
She tried not to think about it but the dark thoughts where intrusive. Should she wait? Hope by some miracle he was alive and would meet her here?
No, that would be foolish.
She took a minute, however, to think and process. She had time.

—
Nose called for guards and began to guide them to the front, barking orders. He kept an eye out for Burt, but didn’t see him anywhere.
The attack was getting worse. The two proved to be skilled, and the third only added to his distress.
They wouldn’t attack alone. No. There would be more.
He decided to grab Burt and get out of here.
He turned, running to try and find his companion. Seems their stay had expired.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:16 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Dace walked down the alley, following the others in front of him. Behind him was the man dressed all in yellow, the one who had hired them all for this job. Job was simple. Kill the men outside the warehouse then smash and grab. Break anything they couldn't carry. Dace liked the simple jobs. They were right up his alley. Heh, alley. That was a good one. He chuckled to himself right up until there was a shout up ahead. Hefting his axe, he ran forward to see what was going on. Up ahead there was definitely something happening. Bursting out of his end of the alley he saw people fighting all over. There had been twelve of them hired for this, the yellow bloke making thirteen. There was only meant to be four guards, but there were far more than that. People were shouting and dying everywhere. Something crashed into the back of him, sending him stumbling forwards and into the path of one of the men he had been sent here to kill. Without thinking he lashed out with his axe, sinking it into the man's leg. This made him scream, which was good. It also made him swing his own club, which caught Dace above the ear. The world spun and suddenly he was on the floor, his axe no longer in his hand. He patted himself down, looking for another blade. He had a dagger somewhere… Ah, there it is! Nodding, a bad idea since it made him dizzy, he lay where he was and gripped the dagger tight. He might throw up now. Another bad idea since he was lying on his back but he didn't care. Just wanted the world to stop spinning. A yellow blur jumped over him, fire in his hands. A torch? Where was he going with that? A spear, coming out of nowhere, caught him in the throat around the same time the warehouse caught fire.

Shadowfingers lounged on the docks, looking at the other assassins who had been gathered.Their targets were seven ships which were all anchored out in the bay. There was some debate on how they were all going to reach the ships, the man in yellow standing silently off in the background. He was a strange one. He had been awfully talkative back when they were being hired, but now? Man hadn't said a word to any of them. They way he stood was a little off too. It was something he was trained to notice. He suspected the man was not the same one who had hired him. He had also heard other rumors about a man in yellow hiring other people for other jobs. It would make sense, if there was more than one job there would be more than one man dressed in yellow. A disguise that was easily recognisable, bright enough to stick in your mind and distract you from differences in accent or stance. It was a solid enough idea, to be sure. As long as they were getting paid, Shadowfingers didn't care who was there with them. As far as he knew, the costumed person wasn't going to be going along with them anyway. He was going to be leading the crews over to man the ships, once he and the other assassins had done their part.

The decision in the end was simple. Shadowfingers, along with some of the other assassins who could perform magic, drew shadows around the boats. Others moves the water to propel their little skiffs forwards while silencing the sound of them moving through the water. There had been suggestions for hiding in barrels, swimming, disguises. All nonsense. This plan was the best plan. Three skiffs, seven ships. It would take some doing to get them all without any alarms being raised, but luckily they were all professionals. Also, the crews were meant to be on land enjoying shore leave, which meant only skeleton crews left behind. Easy.

As it turned out, the skeleton crews were a little more than was expected. Shadowfingers was set to be on the second wave, having just deposited assassins from his own skiff onto the side of a ship and moving on to the next target. As the skiff was approaching the ship, screaming and the sounds of fighting began to erupt from all around them. Shadowfingers swung his head around. What was going on? He dropped the shadows then, giving up on stealth and adding his own magic to propel the little boat forwards faster. They weren't even at the ship before he strengthened his own limbs and leaped up and onto the deck of his own target, blades in hands. Nearly twenty men were on deck. Far too many to have been just left behind. Their information was bad, they would need reinforcements from the shore. Creating a light, he sent it up into the sky. It was the agreed upon signal for the relief crews to be sent forward.

The battle went on, but no relief came. Ships burned. People died.

Thrustbunion sat in his little shop, reports flooding in quickly. Ten assaults, ten targets. Ten successes, or so it seemed so far. He was keeping an eye on the eleventh, on Ed's own attack, but in truth that wasn't as important to him. He had done his part in providing the human with everything he needed and now it was up to him whether or not he would make the most of it. While he had been taking care of Ed, finding him people that could be trusted, Ed had been putting things into place for him. He had hired the lowest criminals in the city, the worst of the worst. In a city full of criminals, these people were still hated. Ed had gathered them all up, and some others, true. They needed the numbers. With the promise of easy scores they had been lured into attacking Thrustbunion's greatest enemies. Even if the attacks weren't completely successful, key places would be weakened. Thrustbunion would be able to move in over the next days and weeks and complete his plan. He would soon be one of the key players in the city. He chuckled to himself. He hadn't even lied to Ed. This was helping him. Causing diversions, just in case any reinforcements were somehow mobilised. Causing misdirection. If Ed wanted to return to the city after this, he was free to. Nobody was going to suspect him after this. There was just too much going on, too much happening by people who were dressed in the exact same way Ed would be. Any survivors of the attacks, and Thrustbunion planned on there being survivors, would all give the same description of the leader of the attacks. There would be rumors started, legends born. All based on tonight's activities.

Darkness grew once more and Celery rose again from the water. His stomach growled and gurgled, though he wasn't as weak with hunger as he could have been. He looked around, searching for the guards. Still everywhere. Still on alert. He hissed beneath the surface, causing bubbles to form. A careless mistake, but given the guards were nowhere nearby, not a fatal one. Still, if he was to be successful tonight then he couldn't make any more mistakes. He would need a lot of luck on his side to do this. He slipped silently out of the water, taking a breath of air for the first time in days. He had some distance to go until he reached the cliff, but he could already see a path opening ahead of him. It was now or never.

Keeping low to the ground, Celery crawled to his destination. It wasn't exactly the pride filled march of a hero, but it got him to where he needed to go. Up ahead of him, stood near the edge of the cliff was the human guard. He had a torch stuck in the ground to free his hands, spear in one and pipe in the other. He seemed to be enjoying a quick smoke on his rounds. With everyone else so on edge it seemed like this guard was suspiciously relaxed. A sign that this was a trap? Celery froze where he lay in the dirt, eyes darting back and forth as he searched for a sign of movement. Anything that might give away more guards hidden nearby. Tasting the air, looking for any other signs, it became obvious why that guard was so relaxed. He had something mixed in with his pipe.

Finally at ease that he wasn't being led into a trap, Celery made his move. He had one human, far enough away from the others that anything could happen. A convenient place to dispose of a body. With a sudden burst of speed he leaped forward, his plan was simple. Overwhelm the human, kill him with his claws. Arm himself, dispose of the body. Find the human girl. Simple plan. But when he connected with the human, the human collapsed immediately, pipe and spear falling aside as the human fell over the side of the cliff. The strange thing was, he didn't let out a single cry of fear the whole way down. Celery looked around and shrugged, picking up the human's spear. Well. He had a weapon now, that was something.
Burt rubbed at his eyes, exhausted. Since the kobold had escaped he had managed to sleep for all of three hours. He knew the men hadn't had much more than that, and it was beginning to show. They trudged through their rounds, ignored the slaves, got into fights with each other. They couldn't stand much more of this. Burt was going to have to admit the kobold had beat him and truly escaped. Sighing heavily, he stepped out of the house and into the night air. He would head down to the gate, send the extra guards there to get some rest, then make the rounds himself. All the extra patrols could be sent to bed. Light duties for the next few days to relieve the stress. Yes, that would be the best course. He had a sword at his side, having given all guards permission to use deadly force if needed, and considered leaving it behind. The damn thing was irritating him, had been all day. A lot of things were irritating him. He could tell his temper was short right now. He would make it to morning and then, then he would get some rest himself. Maybe take Nose and head into town tomorrow night, get a few too many drinks.

Shouts ahead of him alerted him to trouble. There was a scream that was cut off. His first thought, however self serving, was of grim satisfaction. He had been right after all. He ran as fast as his bad knee would let him for the front gate, in the dim light just making out a figure standing there, soon joined by another. He had to hope that others would have heard the shouts and would be joining him, because if these two had taken out the four guards posted here then Burt wasn't going to stand a chance alone. He slowed his pace, coming to a stop and standing awkwardly with his hand on the hilt of his sword. There were just two of them. Did he want to die alone, just to buy his men a few more seconds to get here and stop whatever was happening? Not really. He wasn't going to run away, either. At least, he hoped he wasn't. The decision to run or fight was taken away from him as three patrols ran up behind him, forming up with Burt as their center. Seven against two. Much better odds. He drew his blade, ordering the men to charge. Let the six of them fight the two people. He was too tired for this crap.
Celery was just wondering how he would make it back to the house when there sudden shouts coming from the other side of the compound. Had he been discovered? Had all this really been a trap meant for him? He would kill many of the humans before he allowed them to take him anywhere. He prepared the spear, but nobody came for him. Judging by the direction the torch wielding patrols were heading, though, there was something going on at the main gate. This was good. A distraction. It would ease him on his way to finding the human girl he was looking for. If she wasn't in the house, he would head to the slave quarters then, and see what would happen after that. He didn't want to leave without her, that much was certain though.

With everyone running in one direction, it was surprisingly easy for Celery to make it to the house. There was a crashing sound from around the corner, a window breaking? That wasn't good. There were no guards outside the front door right now, though, giving Celery access to the house. With a spear in hand there was little room for maneuvering, he would have much preferred a dagger or axe. But it had a pointy end and that was better than nothing. He ducked inside quickly, and began his search. He opened doors, finding empty rooms until finally coming across one with slaves inside. Slipping inside, he closed the door behind him just in time. From the sound of things, a body was being brought inside. This followed by some shouting. What could possibly be going on here? He looked the slaves over, but none of them were the one he was looking for. He considered for a moment telling them they could take this chance to try and escape, maybe even offer to help them. They could get out through the tunnel with him. But if he couldn't find the girl here, he would need to go to the slave quarters next. He couldn't risk leading these women, they would make too much of a target. He regretted it, but he left the door open for him as he left. Maybe they would take their chances.

Celery took off, back into the night, heading towards the slave quarters. It wasn't long before he reached them.

Hiding in the trees, thirty some people behind him, Ed waited for the signal. Nervously, he toyed with one of his throwing knives. He had wanted to spearhead this attack, but Peabody had told him those behind needed the morale boost his presence would bring. It made sense. Some of them would be seeing battle for only the second time! A shout came from the gate, and Ed froze. Something had gone wrong. Immediately he took off, magic fueling his steps to make speed him up the hill. Twinkle and the rest would be behind him any moment, but he couldn't allow Peabody and the other to come to harm while he stayed behind.

Peabody readied himself as six men rushed at him. Five, as an arrow took one of them in the chest. Another arrow took one in the leg, dropping him with a cry and causing him to trip up the one next to him. That girl really was something else with a bow. A fourth guard dropped, a knife sprouting from his stomach, and then the final two were upon him. He dispatched one quickly, a few strokes of his sword doing the job. A yellow blur next to him knocked the last one back, giving Peabody the room he needed to finish him. All in all, it was very quick. Not bad. The plan was ruined, though. They had wanted to take out the patrols quickly and silently, but with all this noise the whole compound would be up in arms. Already he could count more than a dozen guards running his way. There had been one more man, standing back as the others attacked. A commander? Whoever it was, they were now running back the way they had come, shouting to get the attention of his men. At this rate all the guards in the compound would be gathered together, ready in one place to repel the attack. 

Burt stood with his men, outside the main house. He knew there were others who were out patrolling, and more still who were stumbling up from their beds. With what he had, though, they could repel the attack. Surely they could. He had heard the sound of dozens of feet marching up towards the gate, but had no way of knowing exactly what they would be facing. Had one of the pirate lords decided they needed to take Drien out? Was this what was happening? Burt chewed at his lip. There was no sign of Nose anywhere. He worried for him, but had no time for that now. He gave the order for the men to begin moving forwards, in a tight formation, when a cry came out from behind him. Stumbling out of the house was Drien, that hateful man. Crying for guards to join him. It seemed someone had told him of the situation and he planned on fleeing. Sure, Burt knew about the secret tunnel leading from the house to the beach below, where Drien kept one of the ships from his fleet at anchor. It seemed like the precaution was justified. There was a brief back and forth as Burt ordered the men to remain in formation, but the weaker willed of them saw their own chance to flee and took it. That left Burt alone, with ten men willing to stand with him and face whatever was coming. 

Burt wasn't stupid. He could see this was a losing fight. Perhaps if he went to the mines, he could wait this out until morning. He left the men to the defense of the house, slinking off into the night with his tail between his legs.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:37 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Awoken by the sun, Kamri turned in her bed and got up with a push. She felt tired. The work here wasn’t as labor intensive and the slaves where groomed and well fed but the mental aspect of it was dragging on and on. Planning what had to be done for that day was enough for most, but Kamri also had to devise ways just to keep Drien off her. She was getting tired of fighting mental battles.

She pushed herself out of her room and down the stairs. Drien had increased her amount of chores far more than the other slaves. He had told her that if she wouldn’t make herself useful to his needs, then she would make herself useful to the house as a whole. Any chore gone undone by the end of the day would earn her ‘a fresh new scar’ as he put it, since she seemed to love them so much.
Her face scrunched up in anger at the thought of the man. Repulsive.
Her mind swam with all the chores she would have to do just to keep from getting in trouble. She started to wonder just how hard it would be to survive a fall from the cliffside. If only he didn’t have her precious journal, then maybe she could retaliate a bit more.
She shook her head, muttering curses under her breath.
She walked to the dining room and began to sweep away. Other girls became busy cooking breakfast or setting the table. A few guards oversaw the process to ensure the food was safe.
Guards. Always guards. It was impossible to escape this place, it really was. She needed to get down and into that mine- she had to. Maybe Celery had found someone else and escaped by now. The thought made her feel hopeless but she wouldn’t hold it against him. He was probably here much longer than she was and she would understand if he left. She might be angry, but it was all well within bounds. He owed her nothing.

Would she even bother to check if she ever got out? Even assuming he was still around, there was no guarantee that the sewer hadn’t been found.
She finished sweeping the dining room and placed the broom up against the wall. Next she would probably wash all the linens.
A voice snapped her from her thoughts.
“Good morning, thirteen.”
Drien stood behind her, looking at the girls working in the kitchen. Kamri tried to walk away but he grabbed her shoulder and kept her from leaving.
“I hope you got plenty of rest last night. I have another job for you today. Do you know what it is?”
Kamri fought the urge to bite his hand.
“No, I don’t.”
“No I don’t- what?” He gripped her shoulder tighter.
“No, I don’t, sir.”
He hummed. “Better, I suppose. I need you to dispose of something. Something that got a little too out of hand last night, so to speak. The guards will give you a shovel and watch you. You will find this thing just behind the house.” He let go of her.
Without another word, Kamri drudged to the front door. A guard stood waiting there with a shovel for her. He handed it to her as she stepped outside.
She thought crossed her mind to attack but again she would easily be overpowered. She followed her instructions and rounded to the back of the house.
Her eyes set upon a young girl- one she recognized. Olive’s body laid haplessly in the grass, eyes wide and looking into the sky. Multiple gashes and stabs riddled her body. She sat just underneath Drien’s window.
Kamri swallowed the block in her throat, and started to dig. The guard nearby kept a close eye on her, but seemed to also be preoccupied with something else. She didn’t know exactly what it was but she didn’t focus on it. She was too busy digging.
She heard a shout in the distance. She ignored it at first, just making the hole big enough for a body.
A second shout came, then a third.
Something apparently was going on.
The guard kept glancing over across the compound. Kamri didn’t know what was causing the commotion. Probably some slave attempting escape. It happened every once and a while, but it always ended up in failure.
The guard walked over to Kamri and took the shovel from her hand.
“I have to go see what that’s about. I’m escorting you back inside the house. I’ll explain it to Drien later.”
Kamri glanced in the direction he was looking but the compound was so big she only saw trees and guards.
She was pushed around the house before she could even object.
“What about Olive? She deserves to be buried-“
“Not now. Later. She’ll be buried later. Get inside.” He pushed her into the building and closed the door behind her, locking it.
Kamri tried to open it but it seemed she was trapped inside again.
She heard Drien talking to a guard in the dining room down the hall. Should she report back?
Then it struck her.
She wasn’t being watched. Everyone thought she was outside.
And Drien was out of his room.

She quietly but quickly slinked down the hall, her eyes locked on the door ahead of her. She prayed silently for it to be unlocked, for Drien to stay in the dining room for just a little longer, to be quiet and for the door not to creak.
She placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it. It clicked, which made her flinch, but was indeed unlocked.
She pushed it open silently, the door hinges not making her any trouble.
She had moments, seconds even. Where was he keeping the book?
He didn’t care for it aside from leverage, so it probably wasn’t being taken well care of. She skipped the Bookshelves for now, too much time to look through them all.

She began to look on his desk or his dresser. When those failed, she moved onto looking under all the items on the floor. No luck.
She cursed. Did he have it on him? She wouldn’t leave without it. She couldn’t leave without it!
She caught a glimpse of the corner of a black book on the floor. She turned. Stuffed there, underneath the bed, was her journal.
She raced to it, grabbing it and pulling it out from the clothes and mess stuffed underneath. She had it!
She hugged it tightly to her chest, standing up to make her escape.
There were no guards outside the house. She could make a move!

The door creaked open.
Drien stood there with a knife in his hand, face deepened into a scowl. “Oh, thirteen. What have you done now?”
He took a steady step forward, closing the door and locking it behind him.
“I kept you fed and clothed here in exchange for some housework. Now is it really that bad?”
Kamri’s eyes flittered to the blade in his hand and back to his face, trying to judge if she could fight.
She was fed much better than other slaves, sure, but without magic she had nothing. Nothing but maybe agility or luck.
“Don’t take another step closer!” Kamri yelled on a whim, trying to sound intimidating. Drien laughed.
“Give me back the book, girl. If you do, then I’ll be a little more forgiving with you.”
Kamri hugged it tighter. His grin widened. “Fine, have it your way. I told you I would break you. I guess I just have to be literal.”

In a flash, he lunged forward. Kamri dived to the side, trying to get to the window- the only unbarred window within the entire house. If she could get it open then she had a chance.
Drien grabbed the back of her clothes and pulled her back. He raised the knife and slashed downwards. Kamri ducked out of the way, the knife catching a lock of hair as she drove out of the way. She caught the look on Drien’s face. He was laughing. Rage filled her and she struck a blow, upper cutting him with a blow to the jaw.
He yelled as her fist made contact, letting her go. She ran back to the window, trying to escape one more time. She placed her palms on the window and pushed outward, discovering it was locked in place. She found the lock and fiddled with it, trying to get it open.

Drien stood up, whipping blood from his mouth. Seems he had bit his tongue. “You bitch.”
He took two strides and met with Kamri. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. “Look what you’ve done. Now someone’s going to have to bury two bodies.”
He raised his knife and sliced down, aiming for her chest. She swerved to the side, avoiding the fatal blow but catching in in her shoulder instead. At first, she just felt a dull sensation run through her arm, but as the realization kicked in she felt the sharp pain emanating through her shoulder. She screamed, pushing Drien back, making him stumble. God, it was bad. It was a bad cut and it hurt like hell. She had one working arm. One arm to keep her journal, keep the bleeding under some sort of control, and to fight. Her odds dwindled.
She grit her teeth, dropping the journal to the ground. She placed her hand on her shoulder to keep from bleeding out.
“See what happens,” Drien stood back up fully, “When you don’t listen to me, Thirteen?” Kamri huffed, pushing the window open with her good shoulder. She had to leave.
“Like hell you do!”
Drien bolted forward, journal in hand to stop her from leaving. Kamri ducked at the last second, then kicked at his legs.
The momentum of his chase pulled him down, forcing him onto the windowsill, his legs kicked out from under him.
Kamri stood and spun around, placing a foot on his hip and forcing him out the window. He grunted as he hit the ground just on the other side.
Kamri wasted no time. She collected a tunic from the floor and leapt out the window herself, landing both her feet on his chest. He coughed and sputtered, trying to get up. His eyes fluttered for a moment before they shut. The blow knocking him unconscious.

Kamri grabbed her journal which lay still in his hands. She had a few moments to leave.
Guards from left and right where moving in one direction, distracted by the calls for help at the gate. This was her moment. She placed the journal into her pocket and took his knife as a last minute decision. Pocketing the knife, she then continued to keep the blood from gushing out. Spare tunic in hand, she rushed off in the direction of the mines.

—

Nose watched as guards from left and right began to respond to the distress call. He would have checked on it himself but as a temporary guard- more an overseer than anything- he wasn’t properly equipped.
However now that guards where flooding one area, it left other places vulnerable.
The first place he would check would be the lumberyard. With less guards, visibility would almost be none existent and slaves would flee from there quickly.
He spent the afternoon checking each area. After the lumber, it was the figs. After the figs, it was the mines. Each area had enough guards to keep a general eye on them. The house itself however was usually lightly guarded from the outside. His worry of there being an issue was confirmed when he finally arrived, noticing Drien, Leader of the camp, unconscious outside the house window.
Nose ran to his body and began lightly tapping his face.
Drien coughed weakly and gasped but he was indeed alive. He just needed some time.

Nose dragged him back into the house and into his room, where the scuffle obviously had taken place. Blood splattered the window and the room was an absolute mess!
Nose placed Drien in his bed. Nose placed a blanket over Drien’s body.
“What ‘appened ‘ere?”
Drien forced his eyes open.
“Thirteen. The charred girl.” His eyes drifted to the window. Nose pieced it together and set his jaw into a grimace.

Nose called out the window, grabbing the attention of two guards. He told them to watch over Drien while he healed. Both gave a weak nod before obeying Nose’s orders. Nose himself would go after the girl.

—

Kamri had bandaged her wound with the tunic from before. It was poorly done, but it kept her from bleeding out.
God, it hurt like hell. How would she move rocks like this?
She decided not to think about that now. Her first goal was to find Celery. He would probably be in the mines, right?
The Lack of guards had her thinking, though. Not everyone was sent to check out the ruckus but a large chunk was. Maybe they were in lockdown? That would be the smartest move to make.
She was halfway to the mine. She had to take time to ensure she wouldn’t irritate her shoulder but also to duck and hide from any patrolling guards.

She tried to listen in on any conversations to figure out what the hell was going on, but everyone was surprisingly tight lipped.
Not that it mattered too much to her. As long as she got out.
She had made her way steadily there, feeling better knowing she had Drien’s knife. She might have some sort of chance.
Her fear was confirmed when she stood on the other side of the quarry. Slaves were being filtered from the mines and into their quarters. Guards heavily watched over them, waiting for the whole issue to blow over.
Kamri started to make her way around the quarry, hiding behind rocks and rummaging through bushes.
If she got close enough, she would watch for patterns in patrol and try to make her way into the slave quarters.
She hoped Celery would be inside.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:37 AM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Celery made himself as comfortable as he could at the bottom of the lake. It was only a few more hours until it would get dark on the surface so he needed to begin planning, if for no other reason than to pass the time. It was relaxing, being underwater once more, but in the end it was also extremely boring. He found himself nodding as his mind wandered, eyes closing and sleep beckoning to him. He was forced to keep snapping himself out of it. With no way to secure himself to the bottom, if he fell asleep he might find himself waking on the surface, surrounded by the guards who must by now know of his escape. Escape was a strong word to describe what he had done, since he was still trapped within the compound. As far as he could see there were four ways out of this place, alive anyway. The first was the main gate. Since it was always guarded by more than one person, with patrols moving past it regularly then that was unlikely. Alone and unarmed, with the guards on alert, there would be no way to attack them or slip past them. The second option was to go over the walls. They were tall, even for people much larger than Celery that option would be hard. Ladders, or rope, or another person would be needed, and some way to get past the broken glass that was embedded in the top of the wall. He had noticed it twinkling in the sun. Add to that the patrols that patrolled the walls, he wasn't sure of the frequency but he had a guess the time available to go over the walls would be short, the walls didn't look like they would be a good option. Then there was option three, the tunnel. He couldn't move the rocks blocking that tunnel alone. He couldn't break the rocks without making a lot of noise. He probably wouldn't be able to get into the mine any more because of the guards. Even if things had gone as planned and he and the girl had moved the rocks, there was no telling where that tunnel might have led. It could have taken them to a dead end in both directions, leaving them trapped or forced to return to the slave compound to face the consequences for trying to escape. All that left him, if he remained alone, was the cliff. He had never been over in that direction, so he hadn't had time to evaluate it himself, but he had heard the stories. The guards rarely had anyone posted there, because apparently there wasn't any need. The cliff was sheer, too hard to scale unaided. Celery had claws, of course, that might help. But from the sounds of things it was a long was down, and that one guard who showed up occasionally would be enough to see anyone climbing. There had been attempts, that had never ended well. Others had apparently tried diving off the cliff into the ocean below, leading them to be cast down upon the rocks at the bottom. From the sounds of things, diving wouldn't work. Perhaps, if he was unable to get to the human, he might consider the cliff as a way out. Truly, it was the only other option left. He sighed, thinking about the way she had been so excited to call him Celery that he had been unable to finish writing out his full name.

Burt stomped through the house, pushing past slaves and guardsmen like they weren't even there. Without knocking, he burst through the door to Drien's room. He was occupied, but that didn't matter right now. The man needed to know what was going on and take action. 
"What the hell is going on here?!" the man on the bed roared, rolling off the girl who he sent scrambling off the bed with a kick. It was just another one of the house slaves, who gathered up her dress and began cowering in a corner. There was already a blade in Drien's hand as he made his cautious way across the room towards Burt, but he wasn't bothered by it. He had taken the measure of this man days before and found him wanting in so many ways. Burt already knew the exact way in which he would disarm him if he tried to attack. He would make it humiliating, earning the man's hatred but putting him in his place. Attack me, he thought. He needed the burst of adrenaline that action would bring. Drien paused, though, three feet away. Coward.
"Explain yourself, now!"
"A slave escaped while you were up here enjoying yourself. You brought a slave into this house who is involved, somehow. And your men have been slipping off to work elsewhere! I need to know what you are planning to do about all this!"
Drien barked a derisive laugh at the outburst. "Who in all the hells do you think you are?!"
This caused Burt to pause. He had been sent here to assess the situation going on here at the slave compound by the order of his boss. He had been given authority here. True, Drien wouldn't be aware of the full extent of his real mission, but he had never actually thought about what Drien had been told. Since arriving here, Burt and Nose had been given freedom to do as they pleased. Burt had easily fallen into the role of leading the other guards, organising them better and holding them accountable.
"I was sent here to help you. So here I am, helping."
Drien scoffed at this. "You were sent here because you were a nuisance. Back in Adeluna you were a mascot, an old timer! Nobody wanted to kill you, so you were sent here to die quietly you fool. I've let you run around doing as you please because I actually found you useful. You do this again, though, and I'll have you thrown from the cliff. Now get out and take care of this before I decide you are worthless!"
Burt stood frozen for all of a second, blinded by the thoughts of rushing the slaver and finishing what the other man had started days ago. He could throttle the bastard. Throw him through the window behind him, the only window in the whole house without bars on it. There was another guard nearby, there always was. Burt could take care of him, too. Grab Nose, get out of here before anyone knew… But then, what was the truth really? Had he been sent here to die, or sent here to spy? It would be just like the boss for both of those to be true. There was no way of knowing for sure though. Turning on his heel, Burt exited the room. Better to play it cool. Keep doing what he had been sent here to do. Prevent the escape situation from getting any worse. Tonight they would hunt for the kobold, tomorrow he would see about hiring on new guards. The whole time he planned on thinking up new and inventive ways to kill Drien.

Celery emerged from the water again, having waited for full darkness to descend on the compound. The dark didn't bother him, his eyes adjusting to see. Everything was in shades of black and white but he could see clearly. Only the top of his head was above the surface, just enough for him to see. What he saw was disheartening. Guards were everywhere. He had never seen this many patrols out at one time, torches marking them clearly. They were everywhere. His plan had been to sneak over to the house and scout it out. See if he could find a way in, or at least a way to see in to see if he could find her. But there were more guards outside the house than normal. He waited for what he felt like was a full hour, counting in his head. There was no change. He could spend the whole night watching the house and gain nothing, or he could start looking at the rest of the compound. He had a list of things he needed, tools, food and weapons. Necessities if he was going to make it through the next day or two. The girl might not even be in the house any more. Maybe they just questioned her and took her back to the slave quarters. There was no guarantee they would have kept her in the house, but something kept him there for two more hours. The stationary guards remained where they were with the patrolling guards coming and going. For tonight, at least, the house wasn't going to happen. He had wasted half the night already. He turned, very slowly so as to cause as few ripples as possible, and began looking out over the rest of the compound. Slave quarters were guarded by extra people now too. There were no guards at the top of the mine, but he still had no way of escaping through there. Even if he had a pickax there would be no way of breaking up the boulders without causing far too much noise. His stomach growled, reminding him how hungry he was. Slaves were fed just enough to get them through the day and to the next. Having food withheld was pretty much a death sentence. If you didn't make your quota one day, then you couldn't eat. The next day you would be too weak to make you quota, so no more food. You would be forced to starve to death. Celery hadn't eaten for a while now and he could feel himself growing weaker already. He looked over at the fig orchard, hoping that if the mines weren't guarded then they wouldn't be either. Unfortunately, someone was thinking. There were two guards walking through the orchard. He would have hissed if he could have risked making a noise. As it was, a guard was stood only a couple of feet away from him now, back turned to the lake. A part of Celery wanted to grab the leg, yank it out from under him, drag him under the water… It wouldn't be possible. Not without alerting every guard that he was here. Stomach growling away, Celery slipped back under the water.

Burt roused the next shift of guards, allowing the first shift six hours to get some rest and get back up and ready for duty. He hadn't taken any time for himself yet, having been up since the previous morning. There was no sign of the kobold anywhere, which was impossible. They needed more men on the search, Nose would be the best one to send into the city below and find men to bring back more men. They hadn't searched the mines yet, though Burt had had men posted down there, hidden. The kobold had been stationed in the mines for a while now. If he had had an escape route, that was where Burt was betting it would be. So men had hidden in the dark and waited for the shape of the kobold to come down and reveal himself. It hadn't happened, though. It was unlikely the kobold had made his way down there before. During the day there had been guards posted, making sure slaves couldn't get out. The benefit of that was also that they would have seen any slaves coming back in, something that they assured him hadn't happened. Where could the kobold possibly be hiding? They had searched everywhere, so unless he had been moving all night too, staying ahead of the guards…  The question now was whether or not to wake the slaves and continue as normal. Having more bodies out would make things more complicated, but on the other hand… More eyes. He had an idea. Offer the slaves a deal. Anyone that helped find the kobold would be offered… Something. He was having trouble thinking things through completely, he was too tired. Maybe after the slaves were out working he would close his eyes for a couple of hours, get his head back on straight.

Celery spent the whole day beneath the water. He had fished out some rocks from the bottom and found a way to keep himself anchored so he could rest. The process had been slow, painstaking. He couldn't move to fast in fear of any sign of his presence being seen from above. Settled down at the bottom, with nothing else to think about, he finally noticed fish were in the water with him. Not a whole lot, and they weren't all that big, but if he could find a way to get one or two of them then he could stave off starvation.  How could he get them, though, without swimming around and grabbing them? He closed his eyes, slowing his breathing and allowed himself to rest. It was hard with his stomach growling away, but eventually the water caressing him, reminding him of home, lulled him into a doze.

Hours later, his eyes opened with a snap. The same sound his jaws made as they closed suddenly around the fish that had wandered too close. He chewed it thoughtfully, eyes closing again. Become a feature of their home and the fish eventually forget about you. It was growing dark again up above. Releasing his anchors, he rose slowly to the surface. If anything, there were more people out tonight than previously. It was becoming less and less likely that he was going to be able to get to the girl, which meant the only way out would be to go over the cliff. He couldn't leave her, and he couldn't get to her while unarmed. Turning slowly, he looked over at the cliff. Just one guard there. He could already see the path he could take to get over there. Then, there would be just the one guard to deal with. It was possible…

Ed looked around at everyone gathered in the grounds of the mansion. There were a lot more people here than he had expected, Thrustbunion had really come through for him. Along with the slaves, which Peabody said were nowhere close to being ready for this, Ed had twenty more men at his disposal. Hardened sailors and soldiers that Thrustbunion assured him could be trusted, even after this was done. He suspected the dwarf would be hiring them on permanently, to make sure they kept their silence. Along with the other ten men who were right now picking over a pile of bright yellow clothing. Turning away from the preparations of the men and women who would be risking their lives tonight, Ed looked over those who were closest to him. Peabody, Twinkle, Thrustbunion and the new girl Fieri. They were poring over a map of the compound that Thrustbunion had come up with. There were really only two approaches. One was to land on the beach below and climb, something that nobody here thought would work despite it being Ed's favorite option. Or an attack on the main gate. With their superior numbers, they could quickly overwhelm any resistance. The guards at the gate would have to be dealt with first, by one or two people, so the main force could approach without an alarm being raised. It looked like that was the option they were going with. Drat. Ed had wanted to scale the cliff.

The girl came with Peabody, the two of them sticking to the shadows as they made their way to the gate. She had her bow at the ready, and Peabody had his blade drawn. He had blackened the blade already to prevent stray light catching it. The plan was simple, he would take one of the guards with his blade, Fieri the other with her bow then the others would come up the path behind them. Simple. Or it would have been. As Peabody slipped around the corner, plunging his blade into the chest of the guard he had approached stealthily, he noticed the three men standing behind him. Two men after an arrow took one in the throat. What had happened to cause them to be on such high alert? Cursing to himself, Peabody lunged forwards, but not before a guard had taken off, shouting for help.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:53 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kamri waited in her room for what felt like eternity. She had eaten the rest of her food but refused to go out. Slaves had knocked on the door and told her she had to work but she ignored their pleas. She had no choice in the matter when one of the journal pages was slipped under the door that afternoon, ripped from the rest of the book. It had the words ‘get to work, thirteen’ scribbled over the page. She grit her teeth and collected the page, folding it gingerly and placing it safely in her pocket.
She left her room, leaving the bowl and spoon to clean up later.
She had been given new clothes. All the slaves here wore nice clothes, long dresses, some more showy than others. Kamri kept to her old worn robes. Most took the newer clothes just to feel clean. Kamri kept her own as a form of protection.
Evening had set in and she had been assigned to the kitchens to work. Olive and gardenia where nowhere to be seen. Luckily, Kamri was not the only one cooking.
There was a recipe pinned to the wall for some sort of roast and bread to accompany it. Kamri was assigned to making the bread and cleanup.
She thought about poison but again that would put the other girls in danger of being poisoned themselves. Drien was a bastard but he was cunning enough to put the girls together so they became each other’s weakness. Besides, Kamri had been snooping around since this afternoon and found nothing of use that would really be used for poison. There where the obvious cleaning supplies but those where kept under lock and key and chore time was oddly enough one of the most guarded times of the day. Probably for this specific reason.
Drein had his dinner sent to him via Guard so he didn’t have to mingle with the girls as a group. Another wise decision, as Kamri realized that not all girls where contempt with the arrangement and would attack if and when given the chance.
She had learned a lot about how things worked here, and she didn’t like it one bit. Though she did gain the ability to somewhat scout around while doing chores. She noticed where guards where posted and what times they would switch out.

She also noticed that when he took one of the slaves with him to bed, surprisingly all nearby guards would leave that area despite Drien being alone with a potential attacker, which meant he probably had a way to defend himself.

If Drein had a way to defend himself then attacking him was out of the question. This would require stealth, not aggression.
Guards where posted outside their rooms at night, leaving the perimeter of the house lightly guarded. If she found a way out from her room, she could probably sneak away before she was noticed.
If she could blend in with the slaves in the mine, she might buy herself and hour or two.

The windows where barred though and where firmly reinforced. Breaking out through that was impossible- much less to do it under stealth. She could unscrew them but the window itself was glued shut. She had tried to open it earlier but couldn’t do it on her own.
Breaking it would cause too much noise and she would be caught.

She was certain she could open it if she just had some leverage. If she could just find something to pry it open with she could get to work on unscrewing the bars; sneaking something like that into her room would be painfully difficult. Bringing anything into her room would be deemed suspicious let alone some large bar.
Then it hit her like a brick.
Cleaning.
She could bring items with her to clean the bathroom. Sure, if she tried to leave some sort of chemicals she would be told to go pick them up or even called out on it- can’t have slaves leaving poison in easily accessible places after all.
But a broom, if done correctly, would go unnoticed. She could easily turn that into a crowbar.
Getting it to the bathroom was her best choice. Her room had one sheet and blanket for her bed. The bathroom had a curtain and multiple linens. She had a safe way down to the ground from the second floor.

And since the perimeter was less guarded at night, sneaking away could be doable if she took her time.

She snapped out of her realization when she noticed she smelled the bread burning. She pulled it from the oven and had a look at it. It was a bit charred, but still completely edible. ‘Toasted’ would be a better description.

She fussed about getting dinner ready, planning all the while.
She would be escaping tomorrow night.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:25 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Peabody leaned against a pillar, smoking on his pipe as he watched the training continue. Time was rushing by now and Peabody was unable to do anything about it. He had been in the mansion with the freed slaves for five days now, but this was only the second day they had been training. The captain had found a way to contact him only this morning, by a carrier pigeon of all things, to give him his deadline. He had two more nights with the recruits and the third would be the real test. They weren't ready. There was no way to make them ready in this short amount of time. Give him six weeks and he could have them in shape, but four days? All he could think to do was drill them with crossbows. They were simple weapons, easy to use and didn't require you to get too close. Light armor wouldn't provide much protection, but it would allow them to retain their mobility. His original plans just weren't feasible. He had thought to arm them with shield and spear, but there was no time. So he had them drilling all day with the crossbows. There were a couple of them there were actually pretty decent, but none held a candle to Fieri. He had asked Twinkle to find him a hunting bow, and the stone girl had come up with a beauty of a weapon. With it, Fieri was an artist. She must have had some prior training but she remained silent, refusing to answer any questions. She followed him everywhere, though, like his own personal bodyguard. Right now she was out there, nudging limbs and bows to help get the others into better positions. A knock at the gate had Peabody's head spinning towards it, rapier in his hand.

The wall surrounding the mansion was eight feel tall, an old grey stone that in places had begun to crumble. For the most part it was in good shape though. The main gate was a thick oak deal, solid, with all it's original fittings. They had shored it up with beams they had found inside the manor itself as a way to bar it, just in case. They all slept better with the beams in place. The escaped slaves began chattering nervously, all signs of professionalism disappearing as their fears took over. It wasn't a good sign. Luckily, Fieri was already on moving. She seemed to glide across the ground, scaling the wall and peaking over. Looking over at Peabody, she shrugged and held up her hand with one finger extended. So, one person outside then? A few barked orders had his troops lined up, weapons aimed at the gate. Taking a breath, he knocked aside the beams and swung the gates open to reveal Thrustbunion.

Burt trudged down into the mining pit, looking for the tunnel they had gone down earlier. First, he would check in on the kobold, then he would post guards to watch him. Except, as he reached the tunnel and entered it, there was nobody down there. The whole tunnel was empty. Sure, before it had just been the kobold and the human girl. Where was he now? Spinning in place, he took off to find the nearest guards as quickly as the old injury to his knee would allow him.

"The kobold! Where is he?" he practically roared at the guard as he made his way out of the pit. He was near the top, and this was the first one he had spotted. Dangerous, leaving the slaves so much freedom down here. They could be up to anything down there, and the guards were too busy messing around up top to do anything about it. A small part of his mind told him how paranoid he was being, tried calming him down so he could assess the situation more clearly. The itch was too much though, the feeling that there was something going on. Something he was close to. He could almost reach out and touch it… "Sir, the kobold, he finished early, sir. Met his quota, didn't he. Should be at the bath, or in his room by now." Furious, Burt took off. He didn't understand why, but he needed to see that kobold immediately.

Celery squeezed his way through the walls, holding his breath. He had to be very quiet which made his progress painfully slow. With nobody else in the slave quarters apart from the guard, any sounds he made would carry. So, inch by inch, he made this way through the space between the walls. Countless times now he had wondered about this space. What had this building been in the past that would need this much room? It didn't matter, the fact was the space was there and that was enough for him. It was just something to occupy his thoughts until he reached the… Light poked in ahead of him. He was there.

He crouched down by the door, having let himself into the room and allowing himself some time to stretch and breathe. He waited. Five minutes. Ten minutes. He had to be sure, but he couldn't afford to wait much longer. If he left it too late, others would be arriving back here. If he was going to move, he would have to do it now. He had tasted the air, listened for sounds. The guard wasn't nearby. With only one slave to guard he was most likely off somewhere relaxing. Perfect. If the guard was busy somewhere else… With a deep breath, he slowly pushed the door open. There was the slightest of creaks, a sound that would go unnoticed in the day to day noise of the building as slaves came and went. In the silence, it caused his heart to stop within his chest. He froze in place, waiting for the sound of the guard to come crashing down the hallway.

Nobody came crashing down the hallway, but he decided to be especially careful after that. Each step was slow and measured. Over the weeks he had tested most of the boards methodically, noting which ones would creak when weight was applied. This plan had been some time in the making, and here he was. Once he was outside, the next test would begin. In his mind he had always imagined this taking place at night. With most of the guards being human, the darkness would have provided him with excellent cover. He could have moved easily within the shadows. Too late for that now, though. It was day, and he had to move. Find somewhere to hole up and come up with next steps. Find a way to get to the girl, and get out of this place. The walls were always an option, but they were guarded very well. There was also something about the shackles. He wasn't a shaman, so he couldn't tell exactly, but they had the smell of magic about them. Could he risk going over the walls if they might do something to activate the shackles? Also in his original plans had been the idea to get his hands on some tools, get these things off. That was still possible, but would need to wait until tonight. Until then, there had to be somewhere he could hide… An idea struck him, then. Yes, there was one place he could go that others couldn't follow.

Burt tore the meager little room apart, shouting at the top of his lungs. Guards flooded in around him, drawn by the sound. The kobold was gone! Gone! How? He turned on the nearest of the guards, lifting him by his collar and slamming him up against a wall. "The burned girl. The one Drien took to the house. Which room was hers?" He roared into the scared boy's face, spittle flying. The lad shook, and two other rushed forwards to try and ease Burt away from him. It took a little time to calm him down, but they managed it and led him to the girl's room. The door was wide open, and inside there was a hole in the wall. That scaly bastard. Burt swung around and punched the guard who had been standing behind him across the jaw. He wasn't normally one to act in such an aggressive manner, but the thought that he had been right and so close to uncovering this plot before it could happen… It burned inside him.

"I want the kobold found. Gather everyone. EVERYONE! And have them outside by the main gate in thirty minutes." with that he took off again, heading for the house. The girl was involved in this. That was clear enough. He needed to find out in what ways.

Entering the house, Burt ran into Nose almost immediately. His friend looked him in the eyes, soothing his rage down to a manageable level with soft words and calming gestures. The girl was with Drien, and they were not to be disturbed for any reason. Burt wondered if that included if a slave had escaped, but thought better of barging into the room to find out. Rubbing at his temples, he took a moment to calm down and think things through. It was true, the kobold could have already escaped. More likely, however, he was still somewhere nearby. He had escaped through the girl's room, and had almost risked his life to stand up for earlier. No, Burt had a feeling the kobold wouldn't be leaving without her. A simple plan began to form.

"Where are the other?" Burt asked, looking at the assembled guards before him. There were some missing. If he had to guess, at least six of them. The same boy he had almost throttled earlier stepped forwards timidly, looking at the ground, shaking visibly. "Sir… Someone in town… Sir, they were hiring muscle. A good price. They've gone down to check it out, sir…" Burt suppressed a groan. Just what he needed, the guards here were being poached by someone else. He would need to talk to Drien about hiring on new hands, and fast. That itching feeling was coming back, and he didn't like it. "Listen up, the lot of you. There's been an escape, but I don't think he's gone far. We're looking for the kobold. Double duty for everyone until he is found, understood?"

Celery's eyes emerged from the water of the small lake within the compound. It was more of a large pond, really, but the water was murky enough that it hid him quite well. Given the fact that he could remain under the water, nestled in the mud at the bottom. Well, he could wait here quite comfortably until it got dark. Then he would need to do some scouting, carefully. There was a lot riding on him being extremely careful, and he didn't want to blow it.

Over the course of the next two days, many people entered the mansion. At first it had made Peabody extremely nervous, but the dwarf had stuck around. If the captain trusted him, well then Peabody would have to trust him too. The came in ones and twos, careful not to attract any attention. Soon enough, though, there were an additional thirty bodies within the walls. The dwarf explained that some of them were earmarked for other things, though twenty of them were dedicated to the assault. They were to be commanded directly by Peabody, until Captain Ward arrived. That brought their numbers to near enough thirty five. The newcomers were all sailors though, many of them having served on ships for many years. Not exactly the mercenary soldiers Peabody had been hoping for, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Ed smiled, looking at the sun.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 2:46 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

The sun had started to set upon the busy campsite. The earlier, and luckier slaves started to turn in their hauls early for the day to line up for their bath before everyone else. Kamri was still covered in muck and dirt. She ran her fingers through her greasy and unwashed hair. What bad timing to be pulled away.
But why? Why was she here?

She let the thought tumble around in her mind for a while, trying to figure if she had done anything significant. The escape route came to mind, as well as the hole in her wall. If that was the reason why, she found it ironic it was she who was caught and not Celery. Not to say she was hoping he would be captured instead of her- just that it was unlikely.

If the escape route had been found she wouldn’t have been brought here. She would have probably been beaten and maybe killed. Celery would have been carted away to meet a similar fate. What mattered most right now was that signs pointed to the escape route still being hidden. As long as there was no punishment, it was apparent that they had not yet found anything out.

The door shook as it was unlocked from the outside. Kamri stood up and bunched her hands into fists, trying to calm her nerves. The door creaked open to reveal two lovely women standing in the doorway. Both looked to be in their younger to mid-twenties.

“Thirteen,” The first woman spoke, “My name is Gardenia. This is Olive. We've been sent to escort you to the washroom. What is your name?” Kamri’s hands loosened. They were slaves, just like her. “My name is Kamri. What do you mean by escort me?” Olive stepped into the room. “We take you into the washroom and bathe you, obviously.” Kamri’s brow crooked up. “You two watch as I get a bucketful of water poured on my head?” Olive smiled. “No, no. You get a bath. Everyone here gets a bath. It’s important we stay clean in such a nice home.”

It was true. The house was nice. Having dirty and ragged slaves would make the place a mess if not smell. She was looking forward to that bath, too.

“Well? Come along now,” Gardenia prompted. Kamri looked at the two, trying to decide if they were really slaves. They both looked so well taken care of that it was hard to tell. They both had magic depressors, so she saw no reason to immediately distrust them.

She walked out into the hallway between the two women. Olive shut the door behind her as she excited.
“This way,” Gardenia bowed her head and pointed down the hall to a single wooden door.
Olive walked ahead and opened it. It was strange to be treated this way by other slaves.
“What’s going on? We’re all slaves but you’re treating me like I’m your master or something.”
Gardenia smiled wide, perfect teeth gleaming. “You’re new. You just came from outside. Think of it as a warm welcome.”
“Well I suppose but this doesn’t seem-”
Olive nudged Kamri into the bathing room and handed her a towel. “Don’t worry. It unnerved me too. You’ll feel better after that bath.”
The room inside was warm. Humid, even. Did they have access to warm water?
Gardenia pulled back a curtain to reveal a large bath with warm steamy water. Both girls rolled up their sleeves up to their elbows.
“Go ahead and get in. We’ll retrieve some brushes and items to help you shortly.”
Kamri shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. You guys can leave. I can take care of myself.”
The two looked at each other skeptically. “Well,” Olive piped up, “We’ll wait outside the curtain. Take your time.”
Kamri thanked them both and waited for them to close the curtain. She turned back to the bath, ready to finally relax a little.

- - -

Zazel had tried many, many different ways to kill this man. He had tried to poison his drink the other night, only to have him pass out before he even took a sip.
Some other poor bloke drank the beer. Zazel tried to stop him but once the deed was done he just walked backwards out of the room. He wasn’t going to deal with that.

He had stolen a horse drawn coach and attempted to run him over himself. But his target had turned at the last second, and wandered into a building. The horses where going too fast and immediately stopped, throwing Zazel off the coach and into the mud.
He had rigged The man’s room so when he next entered, a vial that would emit a poison gas would be shattered. However he forgot about housekeeping and the poor old woman also met an untimely demise.

He had spent the better part of his day so far hiding the bodies. When a man on the street saw him, he had to kill him too and… well, by the end of the day he had killed five innocent people.
It was the Noodle incident all over again.

As of now he watched as Ed was signing up some assassins for some sort of plan. He would have listened in and maybe even joined the group if he had the time today to even figure out what he was doing. But he had been too busy today hiding many, many bodies.

He had tried poison, carriage accident, classical assassination, hordes of cats, poison again, and then even bribing some street people to stall him long enough to keep him still.

Nothing had worked. Nothing. He couldn’t go back. He couldn’t show his face at the warehouse! Not until he had killed this man!

How pitiful! Disgraceful! Absolutely useless!
He sat on the rooftop, trying to overhear what was going on. It was all a garbled mess though. However, this held opportunity.
If he was busy running something big, some sort of large event, then he would be busy and surrounded by assassins. And as such, he himself would blend right in. after all, most of these assassins wore masks, so a disguise wasn’t even needed.
Jump in, kill him, and leave. Easy.

He didn’t know what was going to happen, but he knew it was going down tomorrow.
“I’m the best assassin.” He chuckled to himself as he ran into the night.

—

Kamri allowed herself to soak in the warm water. She had ample time to scrub out her hair and to take off the grime from the last few days. Olive and Gardenia idly chittered to each other just on the other side of the curtain.

“I’m thinking it will be salad again tonight.”
“I am getting rather sick of salad. I hope its soup this time.”
“Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to whatever fresh bread is baked for it.”

The two talked away, almost forgetting about their newest slave. Kamri raised herself so her face was entirely out of the water. “What are you two talking about?”

“Dinner tonight, of course.” Gardenia answered. “We’re trying to guess what Drien has asked to be prepared for us.”
Kamri thought for a moment. “So, how many other slaves are there? Here in the house, I mean.”

“Oh,” Olive spoke, “Let’s see. Katlyn, Madelyn, Gardenia, Myself, You, Aubrey, Mary… a few others I don’t yet know.”

Kamri wrung out her hair. “And everyone is taken care of like this? Why?”
“Well, we need to stay healthy, don’t we?” Garden smiled. She grabbed a towel and reached through the curtain to hand it to Kamri. Kamri took it and began to dry off.
“Everyone else is treated so poorly though! Why are house slaves so well taken care of?”

Olive sighed, “We’re just lucky, I suppose.”

Kamri didn’t like that answer. She dried herself off and got dressed. As soon as she was clothed, both girls came through the curtain with a comb and some minor keep-up supplies.
“Are you both treated as nicely as I? This seems like a lot for me.”

they both laughed. “Of course we are!” Gardenia ran the comb through Kamri’s hair. “We all take good care of eachother! As long as we all behave, we’re well taken care of.”

“What do you mean by ‘behave’?”
“You know. Don’t cause trouble, get along well with others.”
Kamri let them brush her hair for a while. Olive reached up and began to add some powder to Kamri’s face for color.
“Oh, uh makeup isn’t necessary.”
“Oh but it must have been a while since you looked nice, right?”
“Well it’ll just be all smudged when we get back to work. What is it we do in the house anyway?”
Gardenia started to furiously work on some knots in Kamri’s hair. “Clean, cook, the usual.”
“And the makeup doesn’t get smudged?”
“No, not really.”
Kamri laughed. “Well if we all look so nice then I’m sure all the guys look great too, right?”

Both girls suddenly stopped talking. Gardenia stopped brushing Kamri’s hair.
“What, they don’t get treatment like this?”
Olive coughed weakly. “No, not exactly.”
“Well why not?”
Gardenia shifted uncomfortably. “We can’t say why.”
“I guess I’ll just ask some guy why, then. How many men are there here?”

Silence.
“What? It’s not just females, right?”
Olive quietly muttered something under her breath. Gardenia glared at her.
Fear set in as realization hit her. “Are the only slaves here female?”

They said nothing.
Of course.

Kamri ripped herself free of the two, abruptly standing up. “You can’t be okay with this. This is wrong!”
“Shh! Not so loud!” Olive cried, standing up.
“I will not allow myself to be touched by that man. Put me back in the mines! I won’t behave here so it’s no use keeping me in this place!”

Gardenia reached up and placed her hand over Kamri’s mouth.
“He doesn’t allow us to go back to work. He doesn’t want us talking. If we don’t do what he wants then we’re killed. Why do you think he has to buy new slaves?”
Olive wiped her eyes. “If he finds out we told you, we’ll be killed too. Please, you have to just stay quiet.”

this was unfair. This was wrong. Kamri wanted to yell but it wasn’t just her life on the line right now. She ran her fingers through her hair and felt her face redden.

Olive sniffed. “He wants to see you once you’re done here. I don’t know the details but I know you were brought here because someone from the outside inquired about you. I don’t know who or why. I don’t think Drien wants you in his bedroom right now but I can’t guarantee that so-“
Gardenia barked. “Olive shush! You’re going to get us both in trouble!”
Olive burst into a fresh set of tears.

Kamri slowly slid her fingers from her hair. She took in a deep breath, and steadied herself.
“I won’t tell him.”
Both girls looked up at Kamri.
“I’ll play along for as long as I can. But I won’t let him touch me.”

Gardenia turned back toward Kamri.
“He wants to see you when you’re done. Let us brush your hair and cover your burns and we’ll send you out.”
“No, let me go out like this. After all the people who have made fun of my scars, I think it’s finally time I use them to my benefit.”

—

Nose had an armful of figs he was snacking on. They were sweet and aromatic. He had picked some up from the slave kitchen within the house. He had been assigned to watch the house today. Lots of lovely women, which was nice, but Nose didn’t see the appeal himself; though some of them where nice to talk to. A few avoided him, probably due to his unruly appearance, but that was fine. It was part of who he was now.

He heard some shouting upstairs but he figured that in a house full of people that a fight was bound to break out. He let them be.
He handed a few figs to some other guards on duty. The nice thing about being a guard here was that there was plenty of food to eat.

His shift would end in three hours. After that he figured he would relax with a book. This was much nicer than that dingy old Warehouse. He hoped he would stay here for a long time.

—

Kamri was escorted out of the bathroom a while later. She was told to go down the hall and down the stairs, then take an immediate left and down the second hall. Proceed until you find some large double doors. Knock there, and wait for an answer.

After she knocked, there was a stirring inside. Some papers, and a chair that scraped across the floor.
Drien opened the door and peered down at her. The corner of his mouth tugged down. “I thought I instructed them to do something about those scars.”

“Nothing worked.” Kamri lied. “They’re too dark to really be covered by much. What do you want?”
“Don’t speak to me with such distaste.”
Kamri’s face scrunched up at him in defiance, which earned her a slap across the face. It made her eyes water but she held strong.

“Someone came for you. Offered a large sum of money right off the bat. Would you happen to know why?”
“Maybe. I could tell you if you told me who wanted me.”
Drien’s voice dropped to a low pitched grumble. “You don’t ask questions here. I do. Your insolence might get you more than you can chew.”
“Then send me back to the mines.”
Drien looked at her up and down, contemplating something. “You will be broken in time. I’ve dealt with many who thought themselves strong. Revolutionaries. They break easy when they lose and their confidence is shattered. You will tell me why you think you were so special.”
Kamri honestly had no clue why. Who would come for her? Her family had no clue she was here and her ties with them where weak at best. Any friends she had left a long time ago to pursue their own families.
Who was left who cared for her? Only her mentor came to mind.
Her mentor.
Was it her Mentor who had come for her? Was he back?!
She lost her act in a moment’s notice, the idea striking adrenaline.
“Was he tall?” She asked, eyes widening. “Large black cloak? Short black hair and-” She earned another slap across the face.
“I told you. I ask the questions here. Now tell me why this man thought you so special?”
So it was a man. She had information that would indeed make her valuable, but it was entrusted to her by her Mentor.
Drien’s face crept into a smirk. “Oh, I know. How about a trade?”

He walked back into his room and rummaged around in the bookshelf to his left. Kamri tried to see what he was doing but the room inside was lit only by two small lamps and it was hard to see.
Drien came back with a small black book in his hand.
Her journal.
“How did you-“
“When you caused that commotion back at the fig plant we had to search your old room before another slave could take up residency in it. This was found inside. You really haven’t noticed that you didn’t have it?”
Kamri reached to get it but was pushed back by a blow to the chest.
“You tell me why you’re so special,” Drien reached up and took a single page between his fingers and slowly began to rip off the page. “And I’ll leave your precious book in one piece.”
What would she do? She could tell him of what her Mentor had taught her but it would easily place her in danger, and betray him in the process. But if that book was ruined she would never find him.
What if it was her mentor?
“I can make money.” She lied. “I can create it. With magic. But a large sum of life is needed for energy so I was never supposed to tell anyone.”

Drien’s face crooked into a devious grin. “Is that so? Well, I have all the money I could ever want. But someone else could offer something grand for a runt like you. Something money can’t buy. Yes.”

He would have to keep her alive now. And more so, he couldn’t call her on her bluff without taking off the magic depressors.
“I told you what you wanted to know. Please give me back my journal.”
He laughed. “I never said I would give it back. Only that I would keep it in one piece.” He threw it carelessly over his shoulder. Kamri watched it fly across the room and hit the opposite wall. Drien leaned down and looked her in the eyes, whispering.
“And if you want it to stay that way then you’ll do as I say.”
Kamri grit her teeth and stared him down. Drien pressed a finger against her nose and stood back up. “Dinner is at seven. Be there or you lose a page.” He placed his hand on the doorknob. “Oh, and Thirteen, don’t think you’re untouchable. There are many fates worse than death.”
He closed the door.

—

Kamri awoke the next morning, staring up at the ceiling of her room. She had been awake for hours and the sun was high in the sky by now. There had been a knock at the door by a woman named Madelynn who slid her some food but other than that she was alone today.
The food had long gone cold. Soup again.

Her mind reeled as she thought about the events of last night.
Dinner was uneventful. Despite how hungry she was, she couldn’t find it in her system to eat.
She might have at the soup later but the idea of having anything go down was accompanied by the feeling of something trying to come back up.

She turned in her bed and looked out the window.
She wondered how Celery was doing.
Had he found a way to escape? She hoped so. Though she hadn’t heard anything.

When you were a slave out there, the other areas didn’t exist to you. The fig trees where the entirety of a fig worker’s life. The tunnels where everything to a miner.
The lumber area was unnoticed. The lake to the side was unspoken of. The house merely didn’t exist.
She pulled the blankets close to her body. She had spent most the morning crying and her eyes still stung. She had enough of that for one day.

She watched everyone outside work away. She tried last night to even step outside but that dumb guard from the warehouse stopped her.
God what an ugly guy. Both of them! Ugly.
Gross.

She finally sat up, getting sick of laying down. She needed out of here. She needed to get to that tunnel. She needed to find Celery.
She stood and paced the room, trying to think. What would need to happen to ensure her escape?
First off, she had to collect her journal. No leaving without that.
She would need a way out of the house. Maybe there was a time where there were less guards posted outside?
A distraction?
How would she set one up from inside?
Not to mention it might endanger some of the other girls.
She placed her face in her hands. How long would she be here for?
If she was sold, then she would be expected to make gold. In the long run, that was a dumb lie to tell.

She looked at the soup. She would eat. Just the soup. She could stomach it. After all, she might just stay in her room for a few days to plan in peace. One thing was for sure though, she had to get to the mines.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 6:41 AM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

"So, do you know Drien? Yeah? Who doesn't, am I right? Well, let me tell you. This plan, all his idea. While he's busy, living it up, we're down here gathering men. Expanding the operation, is what we're doing. One small compound just isn't enough for the boss. Nah, Drien, he has his sights set on grander things. That's where you come in. Get in on this now, and you'll have a place within the new order."

Ed was sat across from a miserable looking man, couldn't tell what race he was a mixture of but he certainly wasn't a pure bred anything. This was the, what, third tavern he had been in today? Thrustbunion had arranged for flyers to be dispersed over the last couple of days, as per Ed's instructions. All that was left after that was for the mundane interviews. He had hired on help, also. But he wanted to be seen out here doing the work himself. Dressed up in his finest yellow suit, gloves on, cape still on with the hood up and mask in place, he knew he looked intimidating (ridiculous) to all who he met with. The smell of the wine and ale around him had his mouth watering, but what he was doing now was far too important. Perhaps later. Or tomorrow. Then he would allow himself to indulge. He would be celebrating, then, wouldn't he? The man was taking his time considering the proposal, obviously not one to rush into such decisions. Not quite the type he would want on this venture, but at this point, anyone would do. He wasn't getting desperate. He had enough people to make this work, he just didn't want there to be any surprises. He wanted this done right.

"Listen, friend. There are seven more people behind you, waiting to get in on this too. Either you can make your mark, receive your five pieces of silver and show up at the Silver Moon inn tomorrow night. Or, when Drien's name is being shouted throughout the city, praised for his daring and that of the wise men and women who joined with him, you can sit here and complain to anyone willing to listen for the tenth time about how you had a shot to be a part of it and missed it."

He wasn't trying to be quiet. The more people who heard about this, the better. It would also mean the other people in the line would have heard the whole speech and made up their minds before reaching him, weeding out those who were just going to be wasting his time. He drummed his fingers on the table top while the man in front of him hummed, obviously on the verge of making his decision. "Ummmmm….. Sign me up, I guess. There's no way Anomander will find out about this before we attack, right?" His voice was dull and boring, even as he glanced around nervously. Ed smiled behind the mask, holding out his hand to shake that of the pirate in front of him. He knew for a fact that those who were signing up here were some of the most vile, violent, deceitful and traitorous of the pirates in the city looking for work. Perfect for what he had in mind.

The trip down to the mine had been simple enough. Walk in, talk to the guards. Nose had taken care of most of that, having shown a lot of initiative in the way he set eyes upon the girl. Meant they wouldn't be traipsing through this place all day looking for her. The two of them followed the guide down deeper, and he left them at the mouth of a tunnel. Looking down into the dark, Burt sighed. Great. It was going to be a little cramped in there. Heaving a sigh, hand on the club hanging at his side, he realised there wouldn't be any room for someone his size to swing it in there. Which left the dagger. Great, if things got gritty in there, it would end in blood.

He could hear hissing coming from ahead as he made his way down the tunnel. Nose close behind him. Sounded like a disgusting bag of snakes and insects rubbing, hissing and clicking all over each other. As he stumbled across the girl and a kobold, it made sense. Disgusting little creatures, kobolds. Worse than their taller cousins by far. Being covered in scales, a forked tongue and sharp teeth was bad enough, but throw on top their small stature? He shuddered just looking at the kobold. For a moment it looked like the situation was going to get a little complicated, the girl resisting and the kobold, another shudder, giving the pair of them a look filled with rebellion. Why was he so interested in this little human girl? There was something going on here. There was that itch again, the same one he had when seeing that bearded fool from the warehouse. He knew how that had ended. He would have this kobold watched closely. He couldn't afford to be seen making another mistake like the one before.

The girl was quiet the whole way up to the house. That was good. When they entered the house, Burt slipped away, leaving the girl to Nose to sort out. Slipping back out, he went straight back to the mine to speak with the same guards as before. He wanted more information about that kobold. He wanted to know if there had been any suspicious behavior. He wanted to know a lot of things. In the next day or two, time permitting, he would need to inspect the kobold's rooms, too. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he didn't care. Better safe than sorry. Worst case scenarios started playing through his mind. A slave revolt. They had the numbers, if not the weapons. If they somehow managed to access the mining tools, well, they would have themselves a little army. Not on Burt's watch.
"Sho wha yer shayin ish Anermander and Drien, righ', they're plannin' on asshaul'in' Bronk'sh for'resh. Kill 'im, take hish, urr, bishnesh?" Ed stared. He was glad of the mask, as it hid the expression on his face. The orc in front of him had the tendency to repeat everything that Ed had said to him, droning on. It might not have been so bad, if it wasn't for the accent. Thick and gravelly, it gave everything a rough edge. Add to that the tusks jutting out of his mouth, everything was just… Garbled. He was finding it hard to understand, and even harder just to keep up his own side of the conversation here. He needed this orc. Without him, the other captains here would't agree to the plan. It was the morning of the third day, and tonight everything would need to be put into place. He only had a couple more stops after he was done in this inn, and then he would need to go back to his own and get some rest. He couldn't afford to be tired, not tonight.

"Listen, my friend. What is happening tonight is going to make history. You have the chance to aid a growing alliance, to be the muscle that makes the greatest coup in this city a success. Without you and your men, this doesn't happen. And if this doesn't happen? Well, you're going to be stuck scrounging around for contracts attacking caravans still. Small, no account jobs that will never raise you up out of here. You do this, and all your dreams could come true."

The orc just stared back at Ed, as his small brain caught up with all the words. Maybe Ed should have slowed down that speech a bit, or kept the words simple. Well, it was too late now. He watched as a light was lit behind those small, black eyes, which narrowed in what Ed supposed was meant to be a cunning look. "Sho we getsh the shilvah up front, yesh?" Ed heaved out a very long, very loud sigh. He wanted his exasperation to be audible to the orc, and to the others who were waiting for their own chances to talk to Ed. He was pushing his luck, he knew it. If the orc took offense, this could get ugly quick. Almost as ugly as the orc. Ed forced a smile onto his face, hidden behind the mask but still enough to get some cheer into his voice.

"We've been over this. But you know what, I'll make you a deal. I will hire you and your company on for the full amount of silver, for just this one job. I'll pay it to you now, even, just on the hopes that you won't take that silver and never turn up. But, when tonight is done, our business will be done. While all these other people here are being hired on as full time muscle, expanding the influence of the newly formed alliance, protecting it's interests, making huge piles of silver and never needing to look for work again, you sir, will still be here. Or! You can take the deal I've made with you already. You can take your five silver per head, when the job is done tonight you can receive your full pay, and starting tomorrow you can be part of something bigger."

"Listen, Dave, just take the damn deal!" a voice cried out from behind the orc. Obviously, the other mercenary captains were getting tired of the wait and were looking forward to their own turn at the table. Fortunately, the orc had already covered most of the questions so everyone here would know all the answers already. That was fortunate, since Ed didn't think he was going to be able to sit through any more of this without screaming. The orc lifted a meaty hand, finally, to shake Ed's own gloved hand. When the orc had seen him originally, sat here in his bright yellow suit and cape, he had made some very choice comments. Ed had weathered them, explained what had needed explaining, and then the hair pulling and teeth grinding had begun as he had slowly tried to make the orc understand what was happening. It was worth it now, though. Tonight, the lowest of the mercenary companies in the city, those known for their tendency to rape and murder, would be meeting at the Hidden Crag inn to begin their assault.

Celery watched them drag the girl away, hissing to himself as he watched them go. He was shaking with anger as he began to pace back and forth. What would he do now? Were they taking her away to hurt her? Question her? Reassign her? He needed to know, but there was no way of knowing. If he tried walking out of the mine to follow them he would be quickly beaten. Or killed. Then what would happen to her? A slight creaking sound came from his hand, and he looked down. His claws had sunk deep into the handle of the pickaxe without him noticing. He threw it away in anger, knocking over her bucket of coal. They had left it there. Quickly, he gathered it up, taking his own and filling it with his stash as well. He had far more than was necessary, but this was far too important to hold anything back. 

Seeing his haul, they allowed him to leave early for the day. He hurried up the slopes, accompanied by a guard who would follow him all the way back to the slave quarters. There would be no slipping away from him. He tried to catch up with the guards taking the girl away, but they had had too much of a head start and his legs… Well, they were shorter. There was no way to catch up without making it obvious that he was running. No matter though. He would be in his room soon, and then he would figure something else out. He had an idea already, but it was extremely dangerous.

The door locked behind him as soon as he entered his cell. He waited for five long minutes, listening at the door to be sure there were no guards out there. Satisfied, he began removing panels from his wall. They had him locked in, but it would make no sense for them to lock an empty cell…

"The reason I need assassins for this job, my friend, is really quite simple. I already have crews lined up to take the ships, but the ships need to be cleared first. Who better to do that than assassins! Especially assassins famed and feared throughout the city! Why, with your skill alone you could probably take three ships before anyone noticed! But why make you do all that hard work alone? Bronk, you see, wants this done quick and quiet. He wants Anomander's ships for himself, you see. So, everyone I hire here today will slip onto those ships, take care of the wet work quickly and quietly, then the pirates," Ed scoffed at the word, "come on and do what they do best. They sail away and take all the credit. And the anger of Anomander."

The assassin was wearing a mask of his own, making it hard for Ed to gauge his reaction to all this. He needed instead to watch for subtle clues. The twitch of an arm, movement of the hands. Ed… Was not great at this, but he was learning fast. He would of course need to pay these assassins more than all the others he had spoken to the last few days. He had started with a few thousand silver. After this, he would be lucky to have one hundred left over. It was eerie, and silent. Ed didn't see any obvious signs of the other assassins he was meant to talk to today, but then, if they were good at what they did then would he even know that they were there? The question.. Unsettled him. Just when he thought the person in front of him had fallen asleep, they reached over and took Ed's hand. Deal done. Perfect.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:56 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kamri awoke to the sound of a couple guards making their way into the building. They did their usual routine. Knock on doors, call out to get up, light the lamps, and stand in the hall to drag out anyone who wasn’t there within a few seconds.
Kamri pushed herself up with a groan, immediately heading toward the door.
She glanced at the hole in her wall as she passed. Celery had visited her last night again.
Well, ‘visit’, was a loose term. He stood inside her wall while she attempted to sleep. He was fixing it so it wouldn’t be noticed but the job was near impossible using the scraps of wood they had torn off before. Maybe he would work more on it later. Maybe she just had to hope it wouldn’t be found and she wouldn’t be blamed for it.

The hallway was already filled with slaves. Coal and dirt caked their skin from weeks of work. Today was bath day. She had not been here as long as the others but she still looked forward to at least having the water wash away most of the grime and dirt
She heard two thumps behind her.
She glanced behind her. Cel thumped his tail against the hallway floor. He looked her in the eyes for a quick moment before glancing away. Did he need something?

The line lurched forward as the doors opened and the slaves began to move. She felt the shift as her feet moved from cold stone to the dirt floor of the mine. The soles of her shoes had worn out last night. She figured it would be a while until her feet toughened up to the terrain. Until then she would just have to try and step lightly.

The sun hadn’t quiet risen yet. The mines where lit from night to morning to help see activity; in the day you had to just get used to the dark inside the tunnels save for the few lanterns in the walls.
The quarry was still cool- spiders skittered away as the lines of slaves approached. Kamri picked up a pickax and slogged her way in, feeling drained already. She decided to go down the longest path today. The further back she had to walk later, the more time she could take to pick coal from the walls if she was lucky enough to spot it. She ran a hand down between her shoulder blades and felt the welts in her back. Earning your total amount of coal was getting harder to do. She would have to be diligent.

“Sxamri”

Celery shuffled up to her with a pickax and a shovel.
“Ah, come to help?”
Celery tilted his head back in the other direction.
“You want me to come along?”
Celery clicked his tongue and turned back around. Kamri figured that meant ‘yes’ so she followed closely behind.
It didn’t take long for Kamri to realize that they were headed back towards that dark room Celery had excavated before. She thought about turning back- since she was always being watched. But she just now noticed something Celery had already figured out. Most the guards were waking people up and beating those who were late. Which meant they were preoccupied. At least, for a few minutes.

The tunnel stood in front of them. Celery did a quick check to ensure all was clear before crumbling the entrance to his strange room-cave and walking inside. Kamri stepped lightly since she couldn’t see in the room quite yet. “Hey, can you see in here?”
“Xxcilx.”
She had picked up affirmative and negative answers from Celery. He had confirmed that, yes, he could see in the dark.
“I don’t have shoes. I need you to be my eyes.”
Celery hummed for a moment, tapping his chin. He looked at the floor and then at Kamri’s feet. He groaned in…annoyance? Distaste?
He placed his hands on Kamri’s shoulders and lightly pushed back, telling her to stay where she was. He began to sweep the floor lightly with his tail, picking up sticks and rocks that might cause injury and shoving them to the sides of the room.
Looking around, satisfied with his work, he nodded his head and cracked a small smile.
“Can I move?”
“Xxcilx.”
Another yes. She walked forward deeper into the dark and away from the dim light of the entrance, hoping for a chance for her eyes to adjust.
“Is there anything in here? It’s just an empty room. Is there something at the far end?”
Celery clapped her on the back to usher her forward. Taking the hint, she quickened her pace.

“You never told me what you were doing in the walls. Did you get stuck?”
“Zixxilta”
No, he did not get stuck.
“So it was on purpose.”
“Xxcilx.”
Yes, it was. She wondered if he had been in the walls before. But she should probably keep questions to a minimum. The less she knew, the better in case she was ever asked. Though, her curiosity begged her to learn the basic reasoning behind it.
“Were you trying to get to someone in particular?”
He grumbled lowly. He was unsure how to answer.
“Where you trying to find something?”
He perked up. “Xxcilx.”
Ah, that’s something. But what?
“An item then?”
He shook his head, shifting his attention to the wall they were approaching in front of them now. Kamri tried to think. What could you find in the walls that wasn’t a physical object? You can find objects, but what else could you find?
“Information?”
“Xxcilx.”
Ah, he was listening for information. But why did he visit her? It would be more a stealth mission so why go into a random room?
She was about to ask but was cut short by a disgusting stench.
“Urgh. Celery. What died in here?”
Celery hurried forward and placed his hands on the wall. It was a wall of rock. Large rocks. Boulders, even.
“Is this what the room leads to? The wall?”
He raised a finger up to his mouth. “Zizzitxch!”
Kamri stayed quiet and listened. It was silent. She could hear her breathing, and the puffs of breath from Cel’s nose. But other than that it was just quiet.
No, wait.
No there was something.
Water.
The smell hit her again. Something with water that smelled disgusting underground.
There was a dripping sound. And it echoed.
Celery grumbled for a minute, opening his mouth to try and articulate a common word. Using human’s words in a Kobold mouth was difficult. Impossible, even. He coughed and opened his mouth at a weird angle, but finally managed to rasp out the two syllables, though heavily accented.
“Xsewer.”
Kamri’s heart stopped. “The Sewer- do they know? The guards. They don’t know about this?”
He shook his head.
“Why not just leave? You had to have known about this for a while right?”
Celery placed both his hands on the boulder and began to push, leaning into it. He used the Shovel, the pickax, and tried to get an angle on it. But it didn’t budge.
He needed someone else to help him move the boulders.
Kamri looked back towards the entrance. “The guards will be back soon. They should be about done. We need to go back.”
She turned back around and smiled. “Tomorrow? Tomorrow we’ll get here as fast as we can and move those rocks. We can do it. I know we can.”
Cel’s features broke into a determined grin, which looked odd on a kobold. Kamri immediately trusted that crooked grin. They had an escape plan.
“Come on, let’s go. We’ll plan in more detail later.”
They jogged back to the entrance and left. Celery took some time to seal it back up. He made it just in the nick of time, too. Just as he finished, patrol rounded the corner and started to watch.

- - -

Zazel sat in his room, feet bandaged up and resting on the desk. He let his head roll back as he groaned and shifted in his chair.
“He didn’t even notice me.”
He grit his teeth and rolled again.
“He didn’t even ignore me. He just straight up didn’t know I was there. How rude of him!”
He dragged his hands down his face. This wasn’t at all like he wanted it to be. He wasn’t told that the man he was trying to assassinate would be such an asshole.
This was so unfair!
He sat up, feet still resting up on the desk. He had enough money in his funds to ask for a healer. Though the healer here was somewhat sketchy and may or may not have been a con artist. Sure, his ankles where healing and at a faster rate. But it was mildly concerning that every now and then they would pulse yellow.
God, he hated yellow.
He looked out the window and watched as Ed came back to the tavern. He was probably having a fantastic day. As a matter of fact, Zazel bet that Ed had probably found a great place to drink that has three girls waiting for him in his second luxury room. All the food he could want. He probably just won a large sum of money, too.
Probably owns something cool. Like an airship.
“Moron has no idea how close to death he came today.”
He took a minute to look at himself. He really took a moment. Here he was, greatest assassin of Adeluna! Moping in a greasy tavern while his self-inflicted wounds heal.
He was a disgrace! He didn’t have magic but he did have other ways to kill a man!
He stood up, instantly regretting the decision. Right. Ankles.
He shoved the pain aside, focusing more on his diabolical plan. Poison.
The target liked beer, he knew that much. Zazel didn’t like the coward’s way to kill a man but the time it was taking was starting to grate on his nerves and he just wanted to move on from this. Maybe through drink he would have the decency to die.
He just had to disguise himself. Dress a little nicer and act the part.
There was a stable. All he needed was a little horse hair and some adhesive and he would be a proper gentleman!

He began to descend the stairs to pull his plan into action.


—

throwing rocks sounded fun. Why not throw rocks?
Nose whipped his- ah, nose- on his sleeve as his partner went into the office. The man who had previously entered had made a big Ruckus and it seemed Burt was dealing with the aftermath.

Maybe he would find someone else to chuck rocks at. The slave camp was growing much more boring than he initially thought.
It didn’t take long for Burt to step back out of the office and fill in Nose. He felt a smile creep up his lips but stopped. Burt had told him they wouldn’t be chucking rocks at her today. Maybe he should listen and give it a try. He placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself up.
“We’re ment to collect tha’ girl, eh?” He folded his arms as if thinking for a moment. “She should still be down in tha’ mine. We can probably grab her pretty easily. I told a couple o’ tha members of the Guard to keep an eye on her so she can’t be hard to find.”

He turned to walk out of the house but stopped midway through the door. “Let’s go catch that mage.”

—

More coal was chucked into the bucket by Kamri’s side. She was doing well today. She might be able to meet today’s quota early. She might be able to take it easier soon. Naturally, Celery had met his goal a while ago. He was collecting extra to store away for tomorrow so he could get a head start. Doing so was strictly against the rules, but it was only a problem if you got caught.
He had a knack for sensing when Guards where coming, which came in handy.
She tried not to stick around Celery too much to avoid suspicion. Besides, with constantly being watched, she didn’t want to endanger him, too.

Celery suddenly stopped digging and looked past Kamri and further back into the tunnel. He squinted his eyes then made a high pitched chirping sound. He continued to dig. Someone was coming.
Standard procedure was to keep your head down and keep working. Mind your own business.

Two men sauntered into the tunnel, one with his hands in his pockets and the other with a large nose. Kamri didn’t pay them any mind at first, thinking it was just another pair of guards. She didn’t look up at them.

“Slave thirteen, Kamri.”

Kamri recognized that voice. Her heart dropped as she dared to raise her head to look at the two men.
“You’re from the warehouse. That’s impossible. Out of all the places in the world-“
“Drien as requested your presence. Come along,” one informed.

She took a few steps back and began to look for something to fight back. She had no chances, and she would only get in trouble. But her fight or flight response had already started to kick in and she felt the panic begin to take over her body. The man with the large nose lunged forward when he noticed that she wasn’t going to go quietly, but the other was faster, seizing her wrists and pulling her back.
“What is this? Why does he want to see me?”
“Dunno.” The big nosed one grumbled.
Kamri kicked and tried to pull her wrists free but it was no use. Without magic, she had no real advantage.

Celery growled as she was taken away. He grabbed a pickax and took a quick step forward.
Nose and Burt stopped to look back at him. Kamri twisted around so she could see Celery.
Flashes of the warehouse came to her mind. Being thrown into that room, bound. Being forced to wait as she was gambled away by her so called captain.
He had merely stood there.
Celery was ready to fight. Was it because she knew his secret now? Was she dangerous to let go of?
Because he needed help to obtain freedom? Or maybe he had formed some sort of bond?
No, couldn’t be. It had only been a few days.
But she had somewhat formed a bond with him.
She hated how easily she grew attached to people. It was a deadly flaw. But right now all she knew was she needed him to be safe. The escape plan required two people and she couldn’t risk losing him.
At least, that’s the reason she told herself.

“No, no. I’ll go.”
Celery’s face fell into worry and confusion. Kamri looked back and gave a reassuring smile. She would find a way.

The two guards carted her away. She gave no more resistance. If she focused more on getting to wherever she was being taken, she could plan more on how to get out and back to the mines.
She would just have to wait and see.

—

There stood a house with lavish décor and a well kempt garden.
Kamri was escorted inside. She couldn’t believe someplace so nice existed in a place so dark.
The walls had paintings that had remarkable detail. It was clean, not a speck of dust. She immediately felt out of place here.
The floor had hand-sewn rugs that had ornate designs and tassels.
The floors where polished wood and the curtains baby blue silk.
Seems Drein had been living comfortably.

She was pushed up some stairs and into a room down the hallway. As she turned around to face the guards, the door was shut and locked in her face.
She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, annoyed.
The window was barred and the door locked, but the room itself wasn’t so bad. A nightstand, a bed, and a lamp. A single rug adorned the floor. There where curtains on the window, too.
Something was off.
It didn’t matter. She was getting out of here anyway. But first, she would wait. She had to figure out the right opportunity to strike.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:50 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Lost in his own thoughts, which were clouded by a growing ache in his head, Ed was completely oblivious of anything that could have been happening around him. Trying to fight through pain to work out what the next steps to the plan should be, an idiot could have dropped down from a rooftop and landed on him and he would barely have noticed. Somewhere, he was vaguely aware of someone shouting not far behind him, but it wasn't any concern of his. He needed something to drink, that would help clear his head. After that, he would be able to figure things out. He had only met with a few of his contacts, but so far Thrustbunion was the only one who had been of any help. It looked like Ed was going to need to go back to the dwarf to get his opinion on the situation, and find out when he was really going to be able to meet with the slaver. Before that, though, he would return to his room. Get an hour or two of sleep, see if that could help with the headache. A vendor on the way was selling pickled steak, a local favorite. When you spent a lot of time at sea, most of your food ended up being pickled, salted or smoked to preserve it for long times. Pickled steak was something new, however, but people seemed to be enjoying it. Ed, on the other hand, decided it would not be a good idea. What kind of fool would pickle steak?

He woke up screaming with his whole body soaked with sweat. Shooting up into a sitting position, his eyes immediately met the unblinking, glowing green of Twinkle's. She had remained in that exact position, sat at the end of his bed staring at him for the whole of the last two days. What was meant to have been a nap had extended into an exhausted collapse onto the bed, his body refusing to keep going without rest. During that time he had become violently ill. Twinkle had taken it upon herself to care for him over that time, bringing him water and goat milk, the latter a confusing addition since Ed had been demanding wine the whole time. He was beginning to forget when the last time was that he had actually had a drink. He had been having nightmares the whole time he was sleeping, though. They were a mixed bag, the most recent one having been… Something to do with Peabody. Had the man had the legs of some kind of jungle cat? Like some kind of… Pumataur? A shudder wracked his body at the memory. The crazy places his subconscious went. It reminded him of the Spider Colonies he had visited once on the Zephyr. The women there were, for the most part, spiders from the waist down. From the waist up, however, they were for the most part beautiful women. Maybe it should have been obvious what was going to happen, given the lack of men there and a little knowledge of spider mating habits. After being greeted vigorously, the male crew members had been the center of attention. The following days were a whirlwind of webs, legs and all kinds of exotic delights, right up until the Spider-women had tried to kill all of them. The details of the escape were a little hazy, Ed could just about remember one brave crew member who had stayed behind. Yes, he was sure that was what had happened. He dragged his hand over the top of his head, feeling the stubble coming in there. He needed to shave. He needed a drink. He needed Peabody, the girl and all the others, and he needed to get out of this city for a while. He needed, right now though, for Twinkle to stop staring at him.

"Don't you ever sleep?" He asked her, and was given silence as a response. "And you're a mage! Why couldn't you have healed me?" That thought had been nagging at him for a while now. Why hadn't she healed any of them? The injuries were still there, healing slowly. She could heal him right now, couldn't she? There was that blank stare again, though. He sighed. Maybe she just didn't know how. Or maybe she just didn't want to. Didn't really matter either way, since she wasn't doing it. He slipped out of the soiled sheets and went to find some water to wash up with, and was pleasantly surprised to find a basin waiting for him. He glanced over at Twinkle, who had not moved at all save her head to continue watching him. He nodded his thanks to her, and began washing up, not even registering the fact that he had collapsed fully clothed and was now completely naked.

After dressing and drinking more of the goat milk, which was beginning to grow on him he could grudgingly admit to himself, he went out. He would visit Thrustbunion and see if there had been any changes over the last two days. He had decided to keep all the rooms he had rented, despite the fact they were all going to remain empty save his own. He had some reasons for that, but looking back at them, none of them were particularly good ones. He was feeling better now, his mind clearer than it had been in a week. If it weren't for the arm and the ribs, he would be feeling great right now. As it was, they weren't bothering him too much, just tight and sore. He could manage that. He grabbed a bite to eat from a stall, staying away from any of the preserved food, instead opting for some freshly prepared meat.

"Where the hell have you been you daft sod?" Thrustbunion slid his chair out from behind the desk so he could waddle over and greet Ed properly. "You look like shit." An expert opinion provided by the dwarf. This, this is why he came here. Thrustbunion, a look of concern in his eyes, pulled a comfortable looking chair from a dark corner over for Ed to collapse into. "I got word from that slaver, he wanted you to go see him. Two days ago. Where have you been?" Ed laughed. Of course the slaver had wanted to see him while he was out. There had been no note left for him at the inn, so the likelihood of it being true was slim. "I've been busy, my friend. Any chance I could actually see him today?" Thrustbunion seemed to consider this a moment, before heading back to his desk and scratching out a note. He disappeared for a few minutes, then came back humming to himself. "Let's find out."

Ed found himself walking up to the same guard post as before, glaring at the guards on duty. The same one as before stood there, smug grin on his face as Ed approached. He steeled himself for another denial, this time ready to turn around without any acts of violence. He would manage it this time. Before he had left Thrustbunion's, he had asked the dwarf for a favor. He wanted to hire on mercenaries. The quality in this city wouldn't be fantastic, he would most likely end up with a group of thugs and deserters, but they would be good enough to assault this place with. When they did, Ed would be sure to kill this guard first.This in mind, he continued on confidently, all the while picturing just what he would do to this man. Who waved him through, same smug grin on his face. Perfect.

The walk to the main house was uneventful. Two patrols of guards passed him and his escort from the gate to the doors, and Ed spied another patrol going along the walls in the distance. They didn't cross any slaves, though. It was the middle of the day, and he assumed that any slaves would be working at this point. So, the question was, where would the girl be working? Also, what kind of work did they do here? He could see a couple more buildings, and some trees as well. Perhaps an orchard of some kind? Would she be there? If that is all there was in this place, then it would make sense the slaves would all either be there, or in one of the other buildings. So, he now had a target, and a growing knowledge of the numbers that would be arrayed against him. Already he was planning on the size of the group he would need to hire, the costs to do so, and the costs of outfitting them. Would he be able to trust the men her hired, he wondered idly, if they were residents of this city? Would they have any loyalty to this man, or would their loyalty be easily bought. Peabody, if he wasn't sequestered away, would probably have been able to help him judge such things. Without him, Ed would just need to go with his gut. Thrustbunion would probably choose to not be seen with him during the process, not wishing to be associated with an attack on the slaver. He had an idea for how to avoid being associated with such things himself. He had a reputation to maintain, even after all this was done.

There were more guards standing outside the main door to the house, an overly expensive looking building that seemed much too large. How many people lived inside this thing? Thrustbunion hadn't had much information, but from the sounds of things this Drein man was all alone. Even if there were slaves inside, and his chosen men, there was still far too much house for just one man. Was it a status, thing? Most likely. Ed wasn't a great judge of these things, but he was able to evaluate the worth of some of the fixtures outside, and as he entered the house, the decorations. Drein seemed to be a man who wasn't afraid to waste coin. That was not a good sign, if Ed was going to try and buy a slave from the man. Then again, it might just be another transaction to him. Just another trade. Somehow, Ed doubted that.

His worst fears were confirmed. "How can you possibly say no to that offer?!" Ed wasn't shouting. He really wasn't. At most, you might be able to say he was raising his voice, just a little. But the man before him was being extremely frustrating. He had gone into this willing to negotiate, but offering a ridiculous sum off the bat anyway. He hadn't wanted to drag things out too long, just wanting to get in and out with the girl as quickly as possible. The bastard was refusing to see reason, though. "What could she have possibly done to make her so valuable?" Ed tried again, this time managing to regulate his voice a little better. There was a rather twitchy looking guard in the room with them now, who hadn't been there a moment before. "Until you came here, I had no idea she even existed." the slaver replied. "But your need to have her has made me… Curious. You may leave now." What followed after that was a bit of a blur to Ed. There had been some shouting involved, a dash across the room. He vaguely remembered someone's neck being squeezed in his hands for the briefest of moments. Then he was being pummeled and dragged away, kicking and screaming, all the way back to the gate and the smug looking guard, who took a lot of pleasure in joining in a quick, thorough beating.

Limping back down the hill, Ed's mind was whirling as he thought things through. Twenty men. Plus the slaves. That would be enough. Two nights, three at the absolute most. That would be when he would strike.

***

Burt watched the other guards taking the visitor away. What was going on there, then? He had been busy talking his partner out of going to the pit and throwing stones down into it with the hopes of hitting the girl. Nose held a grudge, too. Wanted to get even. Burt couldn't blame him, really. He just didn't feel the same way. He was happy enough to keep an eye on the girl and if she did anything, he would be there. He would even enjoy it. But he wasn't going to go out of his way to harm someone. Nose needed to understand that if their partnership was going to continue. He stepped into Drein's office, glancing around at the mess that had been made of it. The desk was overturned, broken glass was everywhere, a vase had been shattered. Had there been an attack? While he was arguing with Nose. That wasn't good.

As luck would have it, the slaver was still alive. Burt sighed. Great. He didn't have anything against the man. Well actually, he did. A lot of what the slaver did was distasteful to Burt. There was a lot going on here he didn't approve of, a lot of wastage, a lot of unnecessary cruelty. The man in front of him encouraged it all. Someone with better sense would be do a far better job in charge of this place. He had already sent a message to his boss saying as much, and received a reply telling him to continue watching and waiting. "So, want to talk about what happened?" The man glared up at Burt from his seat, rubbing at a violent bruise around his neck. "Just fetch the slave girl with the burn scars." he croaked. Wonderful, so she was somehow behind this? Cracking his knuckles, he headed out to fetch her. Maybe he had been too hasty in stopping Nose earlier.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:55 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

The texture of the food make Kamri feel sick. It wasn't a solid; though it wasn't a liquid either. She placed come in her mouth only to gag and cough it up. She had worse tasting food on occasion, but the texture was all off. Why have something not quite solid but not liquid? Rather drink it or chew it! It's not that hard to pick one!
The other slaves didn't seem to mind. Everyone was generally unhappy with their food but they ate. When seeing her displeasure, the slave next to her pointed to her bowl. She gave it to him without fuss. She felt too anxious to really eat anyway. She figured she would regret it later but for now she had the choice to remain stubborn and hungry.

She looked at the circle of slaves sitting in the dirt with her. There was a sizable number here, all eating with dirtied hands.
Celery sat almost directly across from her, scarfing down the food in record time. Some of the other slaves scooted away from him to avoid his mess.
What was that room he had showed her? It didn't have anything of interest inside, and it seemed like a regular tunnel. The only difference was there where no wooden support beams to keep from a cave in. Really it was more a hazard than anything worth being hidden.
It was too dark to see the end. Maybe there was something further down?
She supposed he didn't have time to show her completely before a guard circled back. It was strange. Ever since the accident that had gotten her thrown into the mines, she noticed guards watched her more closely. And not just because she was labeled a 'troublemaker' either. Other miners where watched but she caught them keeping a closer eye on her on multiple occasions. Even now, she noticed a few guards peering at her from the ramps leading up to the main surface.
Not the group. Just her.

"Back to work. You've got an hour left and then you're all going to go sleep for the night." A guardsman swung a mallet onto a brass plate, causing an obnoxious sound to signal the end of break and the start of work.
Kamri stood up and attempted to brush the dirt off her clothes but only smudged the dirt around. Bath day was tomorrow. It was odd. She looked forward to bath day- even if it was mostly just having someone dump cold water down your back. She wanted the dirt gone from her skin.

She started to walk back into the tunnels. The sun was far from the view of anyone down here and twilight had settled upon the slave camp.
She felt the knots in her shoulders burn as she hefted a pickax from the ground and dragged it into the mine.
Many slaves had tried to free their magic depressors from the wrists using the equipment. But it rather ended in someone being caught and sent to get whipped, or it ended in severe injury that would permanently cause damage.
She wondered what happened to those who were too injured to work. As slaves they would be useless, right? So where they given treatment? Or where they discarded?
What would 'discarded' entail?

She heard a pair of footsteps behind her. Looking back, a man with dented armor followed a few paces behind. He frowned down at her. She continued to walk.
Again, she was being watched.
She thought about trying to figure out more about Celery's tunnel but with the guards watching her she would blow his cover in mere seconds.
She decided to dig down another path for now. Besides, if someone was watching her, that just meant one less guard to watch Celery. She didn't know anything, but a secret tunnel in a place like this meant an escape plan. She wasn't going to blow it for him.
She held the pickax above her head and slammed it down onto some rock. She found some rough coal and placed it in the bag she was given. She had yet to meet today's' quota.

—

The bearded man had gone around town talking to strangers and friends alike. It didn't matter who they were. Just about all of them were more enemies than friendly faces.
One after another turned the man away. Zazel had a second thought about killing the man- his life was hard enough.
But no. His honor! His pride!
Such an easy target he would make. He wouldn't let this one slip away from mere pity.

He pulled out his dual knifes. He had them custom made. The edges reflected the light and the metal was tinged a dark purple haze, each tooth sharped to a fine point.
Well, the purple was a failed attempt to dye the metal but it still ended up looking rather cool and stylish. It depended on who you asked, really. But those who disagreed where dead now, and that's all that really mattered.
He positioned himself on the roof right above the man, getting ready to jump down and slice him open before he had a moment to react.
One quick, flawless strike. Smooth and clean. Yes. His blade would taste blood tonight. He relished in the thought of the moment. It would be one for the history books!
And it would be so damn cool!
Three more seconds.
Two.
One.

He felt a rush of adrenaline hit his chest as he jumped off the building. He could almost see the blood slash across the sky now. He would be dead in just a moment and he would be none the wiser.
He kept falling.
The man below was a little bit too far to the left now.
No matter! He would improvise! A quick jab in the back of the neck! Or maybe a slice across the back?
Oh wow now he was really far to the left.
Well maybe a jump and then a slash across his calves to stun him? Finish him off?
How long was this fall?
He hit the ground with a loud, unmanly grunt. The spinning image of health and poise.
He grit his teeth as he tried to determine if his ankles had shattered. Had he forgotten to check the height before jumping?
He wheezed like a dying lemur.
The man! The man would turn around and notice him! He had to save face!
Before the captain could spin around, Zazel stood up and pointed a knife at him, his head crooked to the side in hopes to see the fear on his face. He wore a dangerous smirk which showed off his self-sharpened teeth that undeniably made him look dangerous and ominous.
"It seems we finally meet-" Ah, what was this man's name? "…Sir?"

Usually you didn't bother to name those who you were about to subdue. All they would be were corpses in the street. Or heads in his trophy room.
Well no wait only if they were animals. Human heads in a trophy room would be-
he shook the thought from his head.
Icky.
"I will give you a moment to say a prayer to the Deities before you perish to my blade. It's fortunate you are so agile, else you would not have this opportunity."

—

Nose knocked on the door to Drein’s room. He heard a grunt on the other side before the door was opened.
“What do you want?” He grumbled, his brow furrowed.
Drein was a middle aged man with greying hairs. He looked like he had frown lines already forming across his face. You could tell a lot about someone by how their face rested. Crow’s feet often indicated a lot of laughter. This man probably hasn’t laughed for a while.
Nose cleared his throat.
“Actually I was going tah ask about someone ‘ere. A slave girl. I’ve seen ‘er before and she caused me and my coworker some pain, see. I was wonderin’ if we can maybe give her a stern talkin’ to? Maybe rough her up a bit? Cause-“
“Whips and stones are in the shed outside. Don’t kill her. Have fun.”
Nose was taken back a bit by the reply but didn’t’ question it. The man rubbed his eyes. “Was that all?”
Looking just past him, Nose noticed a shape shifting under the covers of the bed. He made a hasty exit.
“No, that’s all. Thank you.” He rushed down the hall.
Bad timing. Happened to everyone.
Now where was Burt? He might be interested in chucking some rocks down into the mines.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:35 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

"What do you mean, he doesn't want to see me?!" Ed shouted at the guard, resisting the urge to grab the man by the collar and shake him. Thrustbunion had assured him that a meeting had been arranged, that all he was to do was show up this morning and all would be taken care of. What kind of low down, dirt, manipulative power play was this? Ed would have appreciated it for what it was, if he wasn't so furious about being kept out. "You told him who I was, correct?" The guard, who looked extremely bored, began picking his nose. "Ah, so you're going to ignore me now? I will be in to see your master, and when I do, there shall be a reckoning!" The guard, a short, ugly man with a large boil on his chin, began examining the prize he had found within his nose. Deep breaths, that was what Ed needed. Deep breaths. Don't attack the nice man. Just let him be, go see Thrustbunion. Figure this out. That was all that he needed to do.

Ed groaned, holding his head as he came back to his senses. How long had he been out? Not very, judging by the position of the sun in the sky. The guard, after having foiled Ed's attempt at a surprise attack, had knocked him down. Hard. Obviously, the man had some magical enhancements in his favor. Perhaps Ed himself should use some magic, get past the guard and just take this place by storm! Another guard stepped around the corner, this one armed and armored, looking just as bored as the first one. A little bit in the distance behind them, Ed could see two more, walking the grounds together while on patrol. Perhaps a full frontal assault, alone, was not the best idea. If it came down to it, he would need more information, the layout of the grounds and the amount of guards. If he could get it, a guard schedule would be perfect. Something he would need to ask Thrustbunion. He would be able to get a sense of numbers and layout himself if he was ever able to get inside to negotiate with the man. Well, at least the guard hadn't killed him. It was actually a promising sign. It meant the guard knew Ed was somewhat important, and his boss would want to talk to him eventually. Heaving a deep sigh, he regained his feet and turned around. There were other people he would need to see today, as well as a visit back to the tailor.

The previous night had been an equal disappointment. Ed had gone to see another of his old friends, a pirate captain he had worked with a number of times in the past. They had smuggled together, worked together to take prizes. There was even a ransom plot, which despite all of Ed's meticulous planning, had somehow gone wrong. It seemed his old pal, Gronk, held a bit of a grudge about that. Gronk claimed to be a half orc, though Ed had always suspected he was a full blood and just claimed a human side to make himself more approachable. Something about full blooded orcs always seemed to make people nervous, or led them to believe they were just violent savages. Well, Gronk proved that wrong. He was smart, not as smart as Ed of course, but the orc had a tendency to see through people. When Ed had swaggered onto the orc's ship he had been immediately met with a wall of drawn blades. His friend had spared him just a few words, all of them threatening, but promising some very creative uses for the long metal pole he had been holding. Shocked, Ed had decided to call it a loss. There were plenty of others within the city who knew and loved the dashing rogue!

That's how he found himself outside of a tavern. In a city full seedy taverns, this one somehow managed to set an all new low standard. There were three halflings outside, all of them passed out in various pools of their own bodily fluids. Someone had stacked them together. Either that, or they had been in the middle of something very interesting before passing out one by one. While moving past them, through the door, Ed gave them a glance to see if he could figure that out. There was definitely bared flesh, but without a closer inspection… A small throat cleared itself surprisingly loudly, dragging Ed's attention back to the door of the tavern. The Hidden Burrow was a tavern that catered almost exclusively to halflings. In front of Ed now stood the owner, an attractive, older woman standing three feet tall. He recognised her, and from the disgusted look upon her face, she might remember Ed. "Ah, hello there Daisy. Fancy seeing you here." The halfling spat on his boot, spinning on her heel and stormed back inside. Daisy had owned this tavern for… Years. Ed had been there when she won it from the previous owner, an angry dwarven fellow who refused to believe the halfling had beaten him without cheating. Ed knew for a fact she had been, but she had done it with such skill that there was no way the dwarf could have known. The ensuing brawl had been… Interesting. Being the tallest person involved, Ed had spent most of the time hunched so as to protect the most important areas of his body.

"Daisy! Come on, talk to me!" Ed ducked down and slipped through the low door. Inside, there was a little more room, but still not nearly enough for him to stand properly. As he entered, he was met with a loaded crossbow pointed at his chest. Ah. She might not be too happy to see him, then. "How dare you come back here you son of a bitch? You left us there! With a kraken! You just, flew away!" Oh. That. He vaguely remembered something along those lines. Daisy had had her own ship, the tavern just being a place for her to return to between voyages, and a little extra revenue. Scratching his beard, Ed tried to remember the exact details. There had been a job. A wizard, on some island. A crystal. He and his crew were meant to provide air support while Daisy got in and out. Had the wizard turned out to have some kind of control over large sea creatures? Who knew? Ed surely didn't. All he could remember about those couple of days was all the wine he had purchased with the silver their employer had put down before they completed the job. After that, it was all kind of a blur. Much like the bolt flying towards him. Reflex saved him, then. A waves of telekinesis sent the bolt flying off in one direction, while a burst of magically enhanced agility saw Ed out the door and into the street. It might be a good time to run, it seemed.

Chadwick, at least, was more than happy to see Ed. Eccentric for an elf, Chadwick worked out of a warehouse in a more prosperous part of the pirate city. It seemed business was booming for him. From what Ed could recall, Chadwick had always dealt in exotics. Whether that be exotic spices, materials, animals or anything else. The elf just loved to collect rare things, hoarding them and selling them for fortunes. Every time Ed saw him, hunched over, in his ridiculously embroidered robes and thick glasses he imagined him having a long white beard. Just something about the way he looked. It would suit him. The elf's face was hairless, however and despite his age he still had long golden hair. The elf looked younger than Ed actually was and Chadwick had been around for at least a century longer from what he had heard. Ed found himself edging, very carefully, between two huge human guards who looked more like trolls. The only part of either of them that so much as twitched was their eyes, which they kept locked on Ed. Obviously they didn't trust him. Memories of his encounters with his other friends should have made him nervous. It didn't. Seeing his old friend, cooing over a barrel, speaking in baby talk to whatever was inside, made Ed grin. "Chadwick! You old coot! How are you doing?" Ed bounded across the warehouse and picked the little elf up in his arms and spun him around, Chadwick giggling gleefully. Trust Chadwick to be happy to see him.

"I've heard many things about you today, old friend! Yes I have! I am at your disposal, as always! Yes I am!" the elf cried out, returning Ed's wide grin with one of his own. This was more like it! With the elf's resources at his disposal, there was no way Drien could deny an audience with him. Even if he did, Ed counted on Chadwick to help him with his assault. He knew Chadwick had plenty of people under his employ, even if he only kept two visible outside this warehouse. The elf had all kind of people out there, working for him within the city, and all across both continents. He was definitely one of the more influential people Ed had met. A weight was lifted off his shoulders, then. Until he happened to glance down and see what was in the barrel. "Chadwick… My friend… What are those?" The elf exclaimed in happy surprise. "Why Ed, they're the most amazing things! Yes they are! They are carnivorous worms! The latest thing in protection from break ins! Yes they are!"

Ed was out the door before the elf had even finished.

***

Peabody had patrolled three times now, his new shadow coming with him on each circuit. The mansion and it's grounds seemed perfect. The surrounding area was abandoned, the crumbling manors plundered and left. Occasionally, from the looks of things, parties had come by to tear down walls for building materials. For the most part, though, these building were wasted. With minimum effort, they could be fixed back up to their former glory. The pirate kings could just reuse the luxury left behind, instead of competing with each other to build up ever more extravagant fortresses and manses of their own. Their waste worked out well for Peabody. He now had a secure, the word was loose of course, stronghold in which to keep and train the freed slaves. Training would have to wait, however.

He had taken Fieri with him to meet the slaves before they could reach the city. In the moment, neither he nor Ed had thought far enough ahead. If word had reached the city already about the slave caravan that had been attacked, then there would be people on the look out. There small slave army could be recaptured, or killed, before they even had a chance to accomplish anything. Wasted lives. Finding them had been surprisingly easy, obviously he had been blessed with luck. He and the girl had traveled off the road, but kept it just within sight. He hadn't thought they would be travelling along it, and it they had then it would most likely be too late for them. As the day wore on, and Peabody had begun to doubt whether he would ever find them, one had crept through the growing darkness to meet them.

After being held captive, some of them for years, and finally released into violence, they had really not been in any shape for travel. He could see that now. Peabody had been caught up in events just as much as the captain had, and hadn't taken the time to really sit down and think the situation through. Their luck was turning though. The former slaves remained free. The city wasn't far away, and within the city, something of a safe haven for them. They would have a chance to rest, and heal. Eventually their training would begin, but that might not be for a while from the look of them. They would need a new plan, one that did not revolve around these people. They deserved a chance to recover, without being thrown against trained guards, their lives wasted.

That had been three days ago. Peabody and the girl, Fieri, had spent two days smuggling them into the city. It had been slow going, but they had done it. Twinkle had brought them supplies, but chose not to remain with Peabody and the rest. When asked why, she simply repeated the captain's name. She worried about the captain being alone, if Peabody was to guess. He felt bad about leaving him alone, too, but these people needed him. Fieri had healed surprisingly quickly, and had been following him every day. He had begun to train with her daily. At first it had been to evaluate her skills, but she was quick on the uptake. She remained mute, which was frustrating. He wished he could know about her past. With a bow, she was even better than he was. With a small blade she was fast, if undisciplined. He had made to pat her shoulder that morning after a long session of training, and found her knife at his throat. He would need to be more careful in the future.

On the fourth day, the ragtag team of escapees joined the two of them for training. Ill fitting armor and second hand weapons were piled, examined, and distributed as best as possible. It was a lot of light armor, light weapons, and bows. They would make a decent enough scouting party, if he had the time to mold them.

***

Burt had just completed a tour of the slave camp, and was surprised by the sheer scope of it. There was a lot going on here, and a lot of land involved. There was the main house, where Drien and his chosen lived. Some slaves stayed there, those entrusted with the keeping of the house, as well as the highest ranking guards. He and Nose shared a room inside this house.

Near to the house was another building, luxurious compared to the slave quarters, but a shack when compared to the grandeur of the main house. That was where the rest of the guards slept and spent their time off duty. It was large, giving them plenty of space, and there were quiet rooms around back where slaves could be taken… Burt hadn't spent much time in there. He had seen the blood. He didn't want to know what went on there, but it was a waste from a financial standpoint. Every time a slave was abused, or killed, there would be a cost eventually to replace them.

Then there was the fields where the figs were grown. They stretched on for a while, a dozen or more slaves assigned every day to work the fields, pick the figs. They were a luxury item, well worth the cost of the slaves that worked nearly non stop, day after day. Hiring people to do it would have been expensive. It made sense. A few guards were assigned to watch them all day, the shift changing in the middle of the slaves' workday to keep fresh eyes on them at all times. There really wasn't anywhere for them to go, though. The whole compound was situated on the top of a sheer cliff. At the bottom of steep drop was a thin stretch of beach, jagged rocks and the ocean below. It was sure death to attempt a jump off the cliff, and it was unlikely anyone would make a climb down. Still, there were guards posted to watch the cliff.

A small wooded area stretched off in another direction, just outside of the walls of the compound. Guards in large numbers escorted slaves out each day to cut down and work the lumber. Extended the walls to include this area would have been expensive, and unnecessary. It was a bit of a waste to have that many guards taken up with watching slaves every day, Burt would attempt to crunch the numbers at some point to see if this was even a worthwhile pursuit. How much money did Drien really make off the wood? Research. Nose might be able to look into that, something to keep his mind off of their move. He had been awful down recently.

Finally, that brought the tour to the final part of the compound. A mine. It was essentially a very deep pit, with tunnels running off in all directions. Coal, that's what he had been told was found here mainly. From the sounds of things the compound had sprung up around the mine. The figs had come later, as something extra. The woods had been there the whole time, of course. Burt stood at the top of the pit and peered over. Long way down. He wondered if there were ever any escape attempts. Tunnels, maybe. The idea was ridiculous. There were guards down there, tracking the amount of rock and dirt moved by each of the slaves each day. Tunnel assignments were rotated. Precautions taken. The girl was down there, the one he had seen before. He had been watching her, ordered a guard down there to pay a little extra attention to her and whoever she was speaking to. He had a bad feeling about the girl.

His tour finished with him taking a walk around the walls. Starting at one side of the cliff, there was one gate leading out of the front of the compound and no other breaks in the wall. Guards were assigned to patrol of wall, a guard always on the gate, and guards assigned to patrol the grounds. All in all, there were an awful lot of guards here. Surely more than a little lumber, some coal and the figs were worth. Was there something more valuable here, that was being hidden from Burt and the boss? He would find it, if there was. He had nothing but time, now he was here. He and Nose would take this as a bit of a vacation, while seeing what they could find out.

***

Celery, the name was a little ridiculous now that he thought about it, stood quietly in the dark. He had taken a chance, showing the girl his secret. She had not reported him, though. Sometimes chances needed to be taken. Ever since finding the entrance to the stone tunnels, blocked beyond his own capabilities to move, he had been stuck. Forced to look for different ways out. Forced into the suspiciously wide walls of the slave quarters, to find a way through and out of them. From there he might have been able to find a way through the grounds and over the wall. Bad judgement on his part had seen him tunneling into another slave's room, the human with all the burns. The demoness was still out there somewhere, and she needed him. Who knew what kind of trouble she had been getting herself into since his capture.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:37 AM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

First was the headache. Second was the dizziness that accompanied Kamri when she opened her eyes. She was seeing double despite her best efforts.
Above her was a muddy brown ceiling, with rocks and bugs in every which direction.
Dirt.
She felt dirt on her skin. Bugs, too.
She was laying down, that much she knew. But why was she here? Where was she?
She saw the faint image of someone passing her by, carrying something.
She closed her eyes tightly, trying to combat the horrible sensation of someone trying to unscrew her eyes from the inside. Her head was swimming.
Right. First step? Sit up.
She groaned as she held her forehead, pushing her body up with her free hand. She dusted off dirt and bugs.
She forced her eyes open and saw a dark tunnel leading down deeper into the dark. A few people stood by with shovels and pickaxes, among other tools. There were a few lanterns to light the way but they were too dim to really be of much use.

Those with tools dug into the walls in some places. Others fixated on the wooden support beams that seemed to keep the tunnel from collapse.
Slaves. They were all slaves.
A few patrolled the tunnels, whips or wands at their hips, secured tightly to their person. They were wearing their signature grey armor, with the insignia on their breast.
One spotted Kamri sitting upward. He strode towards her and stopped a few inches away. “Good, you’re up. Dig.”
He thrust something heavy in her direction. She caught it in her hands before it hit her. A shovel.
She wasted no time to get up, despite her head screaming at her to take it slow. She knew the punishment for taking time would be much more severe.

The guard smirked as he turned around to leave. Probably glad he had the power to do so.
And for the first time in a while, Kamri felt a small spark inside of her. Stronger than her want to be free, but the need to tear down this gods forsaken camp.
It disappeared with the realization that she, a powerless mage, could never hope to make it past the guards that kept tabs on everyone everywhere all the time.

Resigning to her fate, she started to walk down the tunnel to find a suitable spot to dig.
Maybe it would keep her mind off the pain that was throbbing inside her skull.

Something tore her from her thoughts. In the darkest corner of the tunnel, well beyond any lanterns, sat a small figure burrowing into the wall. It stood only a couple feet tall, and dug with its hands rather than with tools.
She immediately remembered who she was looking for in the orchard. The small reptilian fellow from before!
She walked over calmly, standing a few feet away as she started to dig.
A guard sat nearby, but if she whispered, he wouldn’t hear a thing.

“Uh… greetings?”
The reptilian kept digging, giving no acknowledgement of her being there. She decided to press further.
“You visited my room last night. You got into the walls. How did you do that?”
More digging.
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. I just want to know what you were doing. It’s rather odd, isn’t it?”
The reptilian found a rock of sorts. It looked at it a moment before chucking it over its shoulder and leaning more into the space it was digging.
“I’m not trying to get you in trouble. It’s just-“
“Zizzixtch!”
“…I’m sorry?”
It glanced at her before jerking its head to the guard behind them. Kamri didn’t dare look, but she could almost feel the eyes boring into her back. She continued to dig.

She wasn’t sure what they were looking for. Coal? Minerals? Metals? She didn’t know how to identify them. Maybe she should ask.
“What are we looking for, exactly?”
The reptilian looked annoyed, looking at her like she had just asked the dumbest question in the world. It picked up something off the ground. A small pile of rough rocks. They had black flecks.
“coal?”
It nodded, going back to work.
How odd. You would think it would be something more valuable. But at least it was interesting to look at. Though she was sure the miners where sick of seeing it by now.

She continued to work. By the light filtering in from the entrance, it seemed it was probably late afternoon. She had been unconscious for quite some time. She reached up and gently touched her face where she had been hit. It was sore as hell and she could feel swelling. It would be ugly for a while.

Something tugged on her arm. The Reptilian- which, now that her eyes where used to the dark, she could see was a Kobold- was trying to get her attention. It pointed back out of the cave. Kamri didn’t see anything at first but picked up on what he wanted to tell her quickly.
“The guard is gone!”
“Zizzixtch!” It held a finger up to its lips. Kamri shut her mouth.

The kobold looked back towards the entrance to see if the coast was clear. Then it went back to its wall but started digging on the opposite as before.
The dirt easily crumbled back and revealed another long passage way. Having claws apparently had its uses.
The tunnel was around 4.6 feet tall and had enough width to have someone with a broad shoulder size to squeeze through. It continued down for a while, but Kamri didn’t know how long.
“How far does it go?”
No answer.
“You couldn’t have done this today. Did you get transferred a few times?”
It paused, shaking its head then nodding. Yes and no?

The Kobold looked back and put a finger up to its mouth again. Now Kamri could see just how beat up the Kobold was. Its right eye was swollen and its nose was crooked. It had a few missing scales on its shoulders and back and its tail was crooked at the end. It had been here a lot longer than Kamri, and had gained many more hardships.

It started to patch up the wall, mixing dirt with its spit and packing it in.
“So, can you speak Common?”
“HIzzikxx xischa!”
“Right, dumb question. But you can obviously understand it.”
It nodded.
“Can you write?”
Another nod, though reluctant.
“Then… what’s your name?”
It thought for a moment, then crouched down in the dirt. It extended one of its claws and started to etch out some letters.
C-E-L- E-R-Y.
“Your name is…Celery?”
It looked up and frowned at her. “Kizzixhisti Masxichti kixx?”
“I don’t have a clue how to speak… Ah, I’ll learn when I have the time, I promise. Are… you a Female, or…“
“Zixxilta!”
“Right. Male. He. Got it.”
Celery growled lowly before returning to work as the guard came back into the tunnel. Kamri smudged Celery’s name in the dirt with her foot, digging some more. She would have to find a way to communicate with Celery soon.


- - -

Nose thought about how the girl was indeed here. They had seen her just in the fig field a little while ago but she was dragged off before they could have a say in it. A true shame.
“Ya’ know, Burt. I think its real fate how the girl was sold ‘tah Drien. A real coincidence.”
He rubbed his face softly, feeling the stubble on his jaw. “I didnae’ think we would run into that gal again. I think she deserves tah be here. Slimy trickster an’ all.”
It was a shame they couldn’t really have a stern word with her, or even just ruff her up a little. Maybe they would have a chat with Drien and see.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow sounded like a good day to ask him.

They were told to go on vacation. And, yes, they did. But to be transferred here where the girl was being held? A stroke of pure destiny.
He and Burt where staying in the House, fully equipped with everything they needed. They shared a room, which Nose thought a little awkward, but he said nothing of it. He wasn’t going to be one to complain.
Besides, he and Burt always talked about work and work and work. Maybe now they could actually learn something about each other?
Burt would rather like that.

—

Zazel sat by the door to the captains’ room, listening in. First he tried to hold a glass up to the door but found it only muffled their words and made it harder to hear them than if he just placed his ear under the door. He didn’t gain too much useful information. The girl was named Fieri and they were all tired. He perked up though when he heard about visiting old contacts. If he was traveling alone, out in the open, he would be easier to assassinate.
But an assassin must have patience and discipline, else risk losing their target or alerting them of their presence.
He thought he heard someone step near the door. He launched himself up to his feet and bounded backwards, leaning against the wall down the hall in a very cool and casual way. He had been practicing this pose for weeks now, and he knew how collected and normal he must have looked.
Though, no one came out of the room. After waiting a few seconds, he crept back and started to listen again.

He listened in for a while but gleaned nothing new. He would just have to keep an eye out.
Though, that manservant…
He had spotted him at the bar. Despite being straight backed and seem rather calm, Zazel could tell he was not a force to be reckoned with. Something in the way he stood, or spoke.

His biggest worry was following at a distance. When he got excitable, he had blown a few jobs before, getting high on his horse only to be knocked back down. It was a learning process, if not embarrassing.

Tomorrow. They were going somewhere tomorrow. Where? He couldn’t hear it. But maybe if he was lucky he could get the drop on them.

He heard them moving around, which made him too uncomfortable. He left in a rush, hurrying to his room to make plans.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 6:19 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Ed sat there in his boots and pants, shirt and overcoat discarded to be repaired and cleaned of the blood and other stains. Peabody had tried to look him over first, but Ed insisted the manservant take care of himself before anything, and then the girl, who had still not said a word to any of them. Considering the things she had gone through, Ed wasn't surprised and was unwilling to push her. The simple truth was, he didn't want to get attached to her. Once she was cleaned up and calmed down some he would need to work on finding someone in this city to take her in. He was already thinking through all the contacts he had made here over the years, none of which he would exactly name as friends, but some of which he would trust. He would need to trust them, if he was going to get the mage girl back. Girl, girl, girl. He needed them to have names, if only to keep them straight in his head. Looking up from the ground, he had been staring at the same stain on the floor for a while now, he looked at her. "How about you tell us your name?"

Peabody had emptied out the little medical kit they had brought with them. There really wasn't much to it, but there was enough for the most basic of care. When time permitted, they would need to find a healer to take care of them properly. Until then he would just need to do his best to stop any of their wounds from festering. The captain had forced him to take care of himself, adamant that if Peabody was the closest thing they had to a doctor then he needed to be at his peak. He supposed he had picked up a thing or two of battlefield medicine over the years, but to be considered their only healer really just showed how unprepared they were. In any other city, their appearance would have caused alarm as they stumbled into the inn from the stables, bloody and beaten. Here, though? It was barely enough to cause one or two of the most curious patrons to even look up from their drinks for more than a second.

He seemed to have gotten off lightly, all things considered. Other than a number of bruises and scrapes, nothing serious, there was just the wound on his leg. The would had been deeper than he had thought, and after clearing off the crusted blood he realised how lucky he had been. Any deeper and he might now have been sitting here right now. He had cleaned it out as best he could before managing to stitch it closed. It hurt, but nothing he couldn't handle. Twinkle had hovered over him the entire time, helping him clean himself off and staring, wide eyed, taking everything in. As he had been stitching the wound closed he even noticed the small movements of her hand as she mimicked him. Standing after he was done had been difficult, the leg was becoming stiff and putting pressure on it caused some pain. It wasn't more than he could bare, however, and there were the others who still needed his help.

Peabody limped over to the girl next, pulling a wooden stool with him so he could sit in front of her while tending to her. As soon as he got close, her breathing sped up and she retreated back further into the armchair she was sat in. "Calm down, lass. I'm not going to hurt you, just want to check to see you're okay." He kept his voice low and gentle, the way you would talk to a spooked animal. He noticed then that she had a dagger clutched, white knuckled, in her hand and she didn't look to be releasing that grip on it any time soon. She was wearing rags under the leather chest piece she had scavenged, which was far too big for her. Her face was a mess with bruises, and every inch of skin he could see on her was covered in mud or blood. She needed cleaning up so he could check for injuries, but if she wasn't going to let him close then he was unsure what he could do. Sighing, he held his hands up in surrender and backed away from her. He would try again, but for now he would give her some space. The captain called over his question, then, but it remained unanswered.

Ed spent the next eternity being poked and prodded, not only by Peabody, but by Twink as well. She seemed intent on copying every movement the manservant made, which had been cute at first but was now becoming irritating. The diagnosis at the end of this was that he would live. Wonderful. He had broken ribs on his left side, however, and Peabody was unsure how many exactly. There was a cut running from his right shoulder to elbow, though while not deep, the stitches that were put in tugged and pulled every time he moved his arm. That, along with the pain in his left side whenever he moved that arm, or breathed, was deepening his irritation. He would just need to stop breathing and moving, and he would be fine. Wonderful. He needed a drink.

While there wasn't any kind of bathing area within the inn, they were able to order hot water brought to the rooms. Ed and Peabody left to clean themselves up in a separate area, leaving the girl to take care of herself. Perhaps clean, it would be easier to see if she had any injuries. Twinkle remained behind with the girl, either because she wanted to help or just didn't know where else to go, Ed was unsure.

Cleaned up and in fresh clothing, the only other set he had with him being the bright yellow number, Ed returned to the main room to find a mess. Water was everywhere, and in the center of the room was a rather bedraggled looking Twinkle. Her robes seemed to have been used to soak up a tub full of water alone. Sitting by the fire, wrapped in blankets, was the girl. Cleaned up and looking rather annoyed, Ed realised she was actually older than he had first thought. Perhaps not a teenager, but a young adult. Her brown hair hung to her shoulders, and the one eye that wasn't swollen shut was a remarkable green. Ed stood awkwardly in the room, unsure of how to proceed.

"Fieri." Twinkles musical voice, barely more than a whisper, still cut through the silence in the room. She was stood perfectly still, in that eerie way that reminded Ed of statues, her finger pointing at the young woman. "Is that her name?" Ed asked, and was met with just another repetition of the word before she fished a cat, half drowned from the looks of things, out of her robes and went to sit in the corner, humming a tune to her feline friend. Ed stood dumbfounded, feeling the girl's gaze on him and wishing he had waited outside for Peabody. "So you're Fieri?" he asked, and once more was met with sullen silence. Great. Well that was wonderful. He should definitely get a drink.

Peabody, thankfully, arrived just then. Coming in, shaved, clean and in fresh, pressed clothing, he looked at the three of them. "The girl's name is Fieri, we need to go out and start visiting my contacts, and I have the beginnings of a major headache. Questions?" Peabody didn't miss a beat, picking up the sword and attaching it to his belt. "Where to first, sir?"

Walking through the city, Ed almost felt comfortable. In a way, it was like coming home. Between job, and when not just sailing the skies, this city had been their home port where they would come to dock, sell goods, find jobs, make repairs, kill time. Plans, as always, had begun forming at a breakneck pace. He had a name, one that was not familiar to him. He would need information, introductions, funds. Things would need to be put into place before the meeting even happened, contingency plans. Which is what brought him to Thrustbunion's. While he was probably the worst tailor in the entire city, Thrustbunion made his fortune in secrets. The dwarf seemed to know everybody's business, as it was his business to know.

"You son of a bitch!" a gruff voice growls as Ed enters through the door, into the dimly lit shop. Ed found himself compensating for it automatically with magic, knowing the dwarf didn't have an issue because of his race. Peabody, on the other hand, would struggle to see much of anything. Mannequins were set up with scraps of cloth slung over them. Dusty bolts of fabric lay haphazardly all over. The place was a mess. On the far side of the room, at a mahogony desk that would be overly large for a human, sat Thrustbunion. His skin was pale from having spent so long cooped up in poorly lit areas, his beard was pure white, and while Ed couldn't see it from here, he could remember how it hung down past the dwarf's knees, he in fact regularly tucked it into his belt. Despite spending most of his time in here, sat at that very desk and taking care of visitors, somehow he had avoided becoming obese like others might in his position. In fact, he looked to be fit and ready for action. Where he found the time to do this was beyond the captain. Magic, perhaps. A wide grin splits Ed's face and he walks quickly over to the desk, the weight beginning to lift from his shoulders.

They spent hours, catching up. Of all the people in the city, Thrustbunion was the only one Ed could come close to trusting. He had had to trust him, for so long. Ed had lived on the information provided by the dwarf, and in return he had provided him with information whenever possible. The two worked well together, despite any issues Ed might have had with follow through on some contracts. The dwarf had a soft spot for the simple headed human. It had been a while since Ed had last visited the pirate city, he had been busy with his crew following up on a lead which had taken them on a journey that had stretched across both continents. Then there had been the mutiny. Thrustbunion grew still while Ed recounted that particular tale, though Ed didn't notice the peculiar way he began to act.

"Well your first mistake was thinking you could bring Him," Thrustbunion began, after they had finished catching up and Ed had given a brief outline of his future plans. "I recognise him, and I won't be the only one. He and his made plenty of trouble for our ships, back in the day. If you're seen with him, or if he's seen at all, that will only lead to trouble. Secondly, what kind of stupid idea is it to play host to a gang of escaped slaves in an inn in the middle of the city?! You'd be better off having your man there take them to one of the abandoned old mansions and hole up there."

Ed thought this over, seeing the sense. He had overlooked the slave issue, but this raised questions about Peabody. Ed knew he was a hell of a manservant, but hadn't questioned him about his life in the military. He had known the man was a sailor, even that he had been in the navy. The exact details hadn't really occurred to him as something that might ever effect him, though. He ran his fingers through his beard as he thought things over, before landing on one particular property he knew of. It would be suitable. He, or Twinkle, could take supplies to their little army. In fact, things worked out even better. With the extra space it would give them, and taking them out of the public eye, maybe this famed solider of his could do something to whip them into shape. Truly, the thought of taking them into battle against hardened pirates and guards as they were was not something that he relished. It would all come down to time, though. How much time could they afford to spend training these slaves, turning them into soldiers? How much time did the girl have, before it would be too late? Was it already too late? He groaned, then. These thoughts were getting him nowhere, the guilt was strangling him. He licked his lips, thinking of how good it would be to wet his lips with some wine right now. 

They settled things, finally. Said their goodbyes. Ed even ordered some clothes for the two girls back at the room, as well as for himself and Peabody. Thrustbunion agreed to take the order, telling them he knew of an excellent tailor who would be more than happy to make a house call. There was one more stop that Ed would have to make, tonight. Then tomorrow he would see about meeting with Drien.

Burt and his companion arrived just in time to see the action go down. Slaves running, magic unleashed, others collapsing and being beaten. This sure was a lively place. How was a profit turned, though, if you had to constantly replace slaves? It was beyond his pay grade, but perhaps he would send a message to the boss. A messenger would work, as a distraction. He would need a mage, though, to make sure his reports would arrive secretly. The slave who had been making a fuss about the collapsed dwarf seemed familiar, somehow. It took some thinking, but as they dragged her away in what he assumed was the direction of the mines, it clicked into place. Son of a bitch. That was the girl who had attacked the warehouse! He stalked after her, then. He needed to be sure, but how could her really? That entire encounter had happened so fast that he had only caught snatches of her face between the shouting and fighting. But those burns. They were distinctive, weren't they?

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 9, 2018 7:05 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Zazel sat in his room, looking out the window and onto the street. The Bloated Hog rested on the crest of a steep hill. The hill ran down to the lower part of the city.
The city was on the ocean, so the beach was just a mile away; he could see it from his window.
He asked for this room specifically for its view. Not for the ocean, but because it would be easy to see anyone come and go from the city.

He paid the innkeeper well to keep quiet about him being here. It was a nice service. Customer service was rare these days.
It was rather pay or get bludgeoned; which Zazel had to respect. It was similar to his way of thinking.

God that ocean looked stellar.

He had been here for quite a while, lying in wait. Most days he would lounge on the roof to better spot anyone who might be coming this way. Today was sunny and bright- so Zazel stayed inside.

He sat by his window sharpening his twin knives. He had named them. Of course. But their names where secret. Only he knew what they were!

Be got bored, staying in his room. He dared not go outside- It was bright out! Who would want to go out in that?
Well, he supposed he could.
But he just didn’t want to.

He stayed in his room most the day. In the evening he slumped down to the bar and bought some ale.
Pine’s Brew brand. The fizziest drink behind the counter.

He talked so some of the local bargoers for info, but none of them had anything, even when offered coin.
He started to go up the stairs back to his room as night fell, feeling he had wasted his time. Just as he climbed the first step though, the door swung open.

A bald man, accompanied by three others stepped through the door.
Zazel felt a smirk creep up his face. How fortunate.
Then he noticed the room and how full it was. Attacking now would be a fool’s move. But his target was right there in front of him. How could he not turn and attack?
He thought quietly for a moment. An assassin waits and listens. They gather information and wait to strike.
That’s what he would do.
—

Kamri felt the sun beat down on her back. She cursed at the sun moved, forcing her to work in the light instead of the shade.
She kept an eye out for the visitor but she had been out here for a while and didn’t see him anywhere.

Maybe she just wouldn’t see him again.
She picked a couple figs from the tree, adding them to her bucket. She had been out for the better part of the day and could really use a break. Slackers usually get in trouble. Then again, everything here got you in trouble.

“It’s hard work…”

The man next to her tried to start conversation. That was odd of him to do. Most people here where rather too panicked to talk or broken down.
He looked over at Kamri and gave an apologetic smile.
“Getting tired yet?”
Kamri lowered her head in a half nod, not wanting to speak.
He seemed disappointed in the result, turning his attention back to work.

Kamri glanced at the guard. If she whispered, he wouldn’t hear anything.
“..You’re tired too?”
The man smiled faintly, glad he got a response. “Of course. But others have it worse off than I do.”
“Hey! Quit chatting and keep working!”
A man in a full suit of army stood by, giving them each a hard gaze, hand on his whip.
They both went back to work. It wasn’t long before he started to speak again.
“You know he’s probably just cranky he doesn’t have anyone to talk to.”

Kamri glared at him, trying to mentally convey, 'Shut up you’re going to get us in trouble!' 

“He probably hand friends before they were all sold into slavery like us. Well. Some of us where sold. Other traded. Gambled. How did you get here?”

Kamri didn’t’ speak.

“I was dropped off by my parents as a gift to the Slaver here. In return they got a nice big house. Hah. Shitty, right?”
The Guard pointed at the man, “One more word from you and you’ll be sorry! Get back to work!”

“I’m tired. I think I’ll take a little rest.” He stretched his arms into the air and leaned against the tree. The guard frowned and stomped forward, whip in hand.
“Oh you’re going to take over for me?” The man slyly smiled. “I appreciate it but you would tire out soon, too. Look at all the fat you’ve got.”
The guard raised his whip. The man grabbed onto a branch and pulled it back. He let the branch go and it went flying forward, stopping the whip and hitting the guard in the face.

The Guard fell flat on his back. The man took this opportunity and took off running.
Kamri watched in shock as the whole thing went down. He was escaping. He was making a run for it!

The guard reached down to his chest, where a small white tube was tied around his neck. He lifted it to his lips and blew into the instrument, sending a high pitched screech through the air.

A second guard seemed to come out of nowhere from the orchard, wand at the ready.
There was the sound of thunder cracking, and then a dizzyingly fast bolt of light flew from the tip of the wand, hitting the escapee right between the shoulder blades.
He screamed.

The man’s body shook for a moment before it fell to the ground. His limbs moved spastically as the electricity ran its course.
The mage walked toward the body, looking indifferent to his acts. He stood next to him, watching his body twitch for a moment, and lifted his foot.

The dwarf at Kamri’s side gasped as she watched the Guard slam his foot into the man’s head, sending a spray of red.

Kamri’s breath hitched in her throat. She was talking to him a few seconds ago and he was dead. Killed just a few yards away from her! She couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Keep working!” The first Guard shouted, getting up from the ground.

Kamri quickly spun back to the fig tree, picking figs at twice the rate now. She noticed other nearby slaves did the same, trying not to attract too much attention to themselves.
‘Just keep your head down. You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.’
But for how long?
She dumped an armful of figs into her basket. She maybe had two more armfuls to go and she would be done with this one. She would have the freedom to move onto the next tree, further from the guards.

She head a thump.

The dwarven lady to her side sat on her knees, clutching at her chest. Her eyes where wide and searching, jutting back and forth. Her moth hung agape and she started to drool.

'Oh my god…' 
Kamri rushed forward, trying to get to the woman. She dropped down on her knees and grasped her shoulders.
“H-Hey! Are you alright? G-Guards? Guards, she’s having a heart attack!”

The guard took a step closer, face scrunched up angrily. “Girl I thought I told you. Get. To work.”

“She’s in danger! You have to send for a doctor! She’s-“

“I SAID get back to work!”
He raised his hand in the air. Whip flying from its coil. Kamri closed her eyes as she felt the burning sting hit her shoulder.
“Please!” She called. “I will! Just get a doctor!”
She felt another hit her back. She hunched over, feeling the wind knocked out of her. She gasped. “If I get back to work, will you go get help?”
The guard grabbed her hair and pulled her up. “Looks like you’re going to be a trouble maker. We’re going to have to transfer you.”
“Wait, no! Please!”
Kamri saw the flash of a fist before her world turned black.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Thu Aug 9, 2018 4:40 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kenneth didn't really like being a slaver. The crying and the screaming, the violence and the death, the emptiness in the eyes of those who were broken. It all gave him nightmares. He had to put food on the table somehow, though. With a beautiful wife at home, the first and only woman he had ever loved, as well as seven delightful children who were his everything, he had no other choice than to take any job he could find. What he had found was a job transporting slaves. The only way he could justify it to himself, and still look his wife in the eyes, was that he had no dealings with the actual slaves. He simply cared for the horses and looked intimidating. That was more than enough, and it put food on the table and shoes on the feet of his little angels. A noise behind him made him turn from his internal reverie, the sound of a foot scuffing the ground. He was about to greet whichever of his colleagues were approaching him when he suddenly felt a very sharp pain in his throat. Had he swallowed a fly, or a bee perhaps? He was trying to say something, to cry out, but all that came out was a gurgling sound. It was becoming awfully hard to breathe, too. Kenneth fell to his knees as he saw a shadow flicker past him, and before everything finally went dark, he heard to sound of a hand slapping a horse's rump and a cry, before the sound of thundering hooves.

Peabody had taken down two of the perimeter guards before finally tackling the one with the horses. All in all, this was going swimmingly well. Better than he had any right to hope for, really. Three guards down, and only four more on duty. Why, if he changed the plan they might just be able to kill the remaining guards and slip away into the night. A cry from the direction of his first kill told him that things were about to get interesting, and fast. Any hopes of this being easy were gone now. Moving quickly past the dying man, he cut through the ropes tethering the horses and slapped one of them on the rear, crying out as he did so. Surprised, the horse bolted with the other following suit. The sound was bound to draw attention, and if they were lucky it would take some of the guards away from the camp to try and retrieve them. Peabody drew the sword, though, knowing the time for stealth was coming to a close. Even if some guards left to chase the horses, at least one of them knew about a corpse. He could only hope that the captain would be able to succeed in his part of this operation.

Ed remained focused on the guards, a throwing knife in each hand, readying himself. Time passed at a crawl then as he waited for one of the two distractions they had discussed. Hopefully it wouldn't come to the second though. Time continued to drag, each second that passed making him more impatient. It shouldn't be taking this long, should it? Had something happened? Had Peabody been captured, or worse, killed? Did he have an accident on the way there? It would serve him right, moving as quickly as he did in the dark, and without even- The horses started bolting, making noise enough to wake the entire camp. That would be the distraction. The guard on Ed's right ran a few steps in that direction, attempting to see what was happening. The other turned to inspect the slaves, and caught Ed's throwing knife in his chest. It had taken a little telekinesis to stop the blade spinning off into the empty night, but nobody had to know that. Ed switched the spare blade to his other hand and launched that one, too. This one was dead on course, needed now correction from Ed. The hilt hit the back of the second guard's neck, making him cry out. Balls.

Peabody could hear the sounds of the sleeping guards waking. Shouting and cursing overlapped with the sounds of men bursting out of tents, most of them still half naked. Only a few of them brandished weapons, but they still outnumbered him by far too many. A single coordinated rush by this many men, even if they had all been naked and unarmed, would have seen him overwhelmed and dead in seconds. As it stood, they saw a man alone in the dark, holding a sword at the ready. There was doubt, there, doubt that he would need to exploit if he was to survive long enough for Ed and their conscripts to save him. With a confidence he didn't feel, he approached the men standing around. "Okay, then. Who wants to be the next to die tonight?"

Ed used a surge of magic to burst forwards through the night, knuckle duster already being fished out his pocket. The guard, alive and annoyed, turned to face him. Confusion was writ across his face, but not enough to stop him from calling out for help. Ed's punch, magically strengthened, took him across the jaw. There was a sickening crunch and a tearing sound, and Ed was shocked to see a lot more of the inside of the man's mouth than he thought he would see, especially from the side of his face. Pushing the thought aside, Ed knew his time was limited now. There would be guards coming to protect their investment. Looking at the closest of the slaves, he saw chains. He had hoped for ropes, something he could saw through, but no such luck. Perfect, now he would need to find keys.

Completely ignoring what instructors had taught him, Peabody kept his attacks as flashy as possible. If he had killed the two men who had first approached him, one wearing nothing but a chest piece of armor and holding a dagger, the other clothed in tunic and pants, holding an axe, then the others would have been intimidated slightly. They would have seen the deaths, but not appreciated the skill in which they had been dispatched. Peabody needed them to be scared shitless. He needed them to think him confident, and for them to see a reason why. He played with each of the men, quick jabs and slashes. The result was the same, but the show he put on would be seen as far more impressive. More skilled. This wouldn't last for long, but it would hopefully give some of the guards a moment of pause. Every second counted at this point, and Peabody's best weapon now was to bluff.

If Ed had found a ring full of keys then he might have actually screamed. Instead, he found one single key that would work on all the shackles. Positive note, no need to try multiple keys each time. Negative notes, he had found it on the second body he searched, the first man he had killed, which had wasted time. Also, one key meant only one person could be freed at a time. His first thought was to find the girl, ignoring the other slaves. There were just too many of them, and he couldn't afford to waste the time with the reinforcements on the way. The camp wasn't large, so they must be distracted by something. Please, Peabody, stay safe. Ed unlocked the first of the slave, hissing quick directions at him to start stripping the two corpses of weapons. The second slave he instructed to begin freeing the others, to leave Ed a chance to find who he was looking for. 

"Listen, all of you. This is your chance, here and now, to earn your freedom. Fight with me tonight! Fight these bastards who wished to sell you!" the whisper was pitched to carry to all the slaves, though some further away might have missed it. He had hoped his words would light a fire in their eyes, but most of them simply looked scared. This was not ideal. If enough of them cowered here in fear, they were done for. "Listen," he began again, this time opting for volume. He needed them inspired, and that needed to happen fast.

Peabody's time was up, and he knew it. The he had killed another of the guards, but the man had scored a strike on his leg. It was shallow, nothing really, but it showed the others he could be hurt. Hard to be scared of someone you knew you could hurt. Especially when sleep started clearing from you brain and you began to do the math. Other guards were appearing now, fully armored and ready for a fight. He could hear shouting now from across the camp, and some of the guards began to head in that direction. They had tried. If they had failed, at least they had tried. Peabody winced as he shifted his weight to his injured leg, perhaps it was a little worse than he had thought, but took up a ready position. The time for showmanship was over. Now was the time to kill. An insane cackling came from the opposite side of the camp, along with a yell of "CHARGE!" that could only have come from one person.

The fight was short, and brutal. Of the forty slaves that had been taken, only twenty seven had survived, and they were all injured. The severity of which varied drastically. The slaves had still been hesitant after the second speech Ed had delivered, but what really sold them was when a teenage girl whose face was a mask of bruises had snatched a knife from Ed's hand and charged at the first guard that had approached the growing number of freed slaves. Ed, not missing a beat, had yelled the order to charge and taken after her. Unarmed save for his knuckle duster, he still would not let that girl fight alone. He hadn't expected anyone else to come with him, but the men who were free, and those who had been stripping the corpses, followed hot on Ed's heels. Bodies were left behind for stragglers to arm themselves from. The makeshift army moved on. The next few minutes passed in flashes of images. Punching a man repeatedly. A blade missing his face by an inch. The feel of a club hitting a rib, possibly cracking it. Sharp pain as a dagger found his arm. Peabody was at his side, holding an axe in each hand. Ed had picked up a spear from somewhere.

Ed stood in the ruins of the camp, corpses around him, staring at the ground. She wasn't here. The girl wasn't here. His hands shook as he lifted them to his face, covering his eyes which were burning, for some reason. He was vaguely aware of Peabody giving orders behind him, ordering bodies stripped, suppliespacked and people readied to be moved. This was meant to have been the caravan. She was meant to have been here. A week had passed already. Some of the survivors had already begun talking of the horrors they had experienced at these particular slavers, and he kept picturing the girl's scarred face. They had to leave, soon, before anyone else passed this place and found what had happened here. They needed to get to the city, to find the girl. He dragged fingers down, through his beard, and turned to look at those arrayed behind him. He was already thinking of half a dozen plans for if they were denied the girl by Drein. For most of them, he would need an army.

Of the twenty seven left, few of them were capable of coming with Ed. Of the ones that were, he needed some to guide the injured and scared back towards Adeluna, where hopefully they would be safe. Ten agreed to come with Ed, and they armed themselves with whichever light weapons they could carry. One had been to the pirate city before, telling Ed of a suitable inn where he could stay and take on room enough for them all, for a reasonable cost that also bought silence from the owner. Ed thanked the man who was quickly shaping up to look like the leader of this ragtag little band, and told them to meet him there when they could.

Ed climbed into the carriage only to find a stranger sat in there. No, not a stranger, the girl. Her face was a mess, even worse than it had been before. She clutched a bow in her hands and was staring at the wall across from her, refusing to acknowledge Ed's presence. Dozens of thoughts flashed through his mind, one after another, speeches he could give her to dissuade her. In the end though, he hung out of the carriage and called to Peabody. It was time to leave, they had done all they could here.

The next day they arrived in the city. After a couple of inquiries they found the Bloated Hog. A ransom was paid for suites of rooms away from any others that were occupied, with instructions left to not be disturbed under any circumstances, as well as to forget who was currently staying in those room. The inn keep shrugged this off, it was a common request. He even offered to throw in the special stabling rate that would see their carriage… Touched up. A lick of paint to disguise any… Unwanted marks. Upon reaching their rooms, the four of them settled in, Peabody taking this as a chance to see to their multitude of wounds properly while Twinkle hovered behind him, full of curiosity as she watched him work.

"Ello, Drein." Burt said, striding into the office. His partner was following him in, close behind. After that warehouse debacle, he had thought to take a little vacation for a while, to get out of the city. The boss had had other plans. It seemed they were to be reassigned, to another city no less. They were to work with the slaver, Drein, for a while. He had no idea what the boss was thinking, it would have been easier to just kill the two of them and be done with it. Not that he was complaining. Looked like they were in the slave trade for the foreseeable future, now. Him and that big idiot, with that huge nose that Burt just couldn't stop thinking about at night. Strange, the things you would find yourself daydreaming about. They made there introductions to the man himself, told where they could find rooms to claim, and given a rundown of the place. The whole thing too some time, more time than Burt would have wanted, to be honest, after near five days hard riding to get here. No matter though. For now, he would try to avoid complaining. He was alive, after all.

"Think we'll take ourselves a look around," he said after everything was said and done, "then go get ourselves some sleep." He had a hankering for some figs. Perhaps he would start there.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 9, 2018 3:00 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kamri jolted upright when a loud sudden banging sound came from her door. A gruff voice from the other side called.
“Wake up!”

Kamri rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. On the one day she took more than a couple seconds to get out the door, she was beaten. She was in no rush to do that again.
Her mind flickered to last night. Who was it who was inside the wall? It was too dark to see them clearly.
They didn’t speak common and the glint on their skin suggested scales but she couldn’t truly see them.
Did it really happen?

The wall!
She looked at the wall from the previous night. The hole still stood at around four feet. Just below Kamri’s chest.
So it happened afterall.
She couldn’t hide the hole- there was nothing in here to really place in front of it. She just had to be sneaky and try and repair it tonight when she got back.
She heard the guard’s footsteps circle back. She had to step outside now or risk punishment for staying in too long.

She threw open the door and stepped into the hallway with the other slaves.
An armored man led the group, with one more man in the back, keeping them all in line.

Kamri glanced back down the line. She didn’t see anyone who fit last night’s description. There were a few tieflings and a half orc, among other races, but no one that was quiet as short as her midnight visitor.

The armored men ushered them forward, giving them buckets as they walked out the door.
Kamri tried to see everyone in front of her but she couldn’t see anyone against the sunlight filtering in through the doorway.

There was some commotion in the back. Turning to look behind her once more, a guard was hitting someone with the butt end of his spear.
There was a hiss and a snarl but it was subdued with four more hits. The guard kicked them one final time before the line started to move again.
Something lay a heap on the floor. It pushed itself up. Kamri could see that it had reptilian claws.
Ah! So it was another slave!
Now who was ‘it’?
She was pushed forward by the slave behind her, anxious to get out of the crowded space.
Kamri stepped into the sun and took the basket forced onto her.

“Thirteen, you’ve been assigned lane 5 today.”
Kamri gave no indication she was paying attention but walked off anyway, keeping her head down.

Maybe she would run into the mysterious visitor. Figure out who they were.
She would keep an eye out for them. Maybe something good would come of it!
How did they fit in the wall? Why where they there in the first place?
Looking for a way out?
Escape here was unlikely. It was heavily guarded and the entire area was fenced in.
Kamri thought about attempting escape herself, but she didn’t know enough about the layout or the schedule here. She had to bide her time.
For now, though, she seemed content with maybe finding out who was in her room, and why they were sneaking around. If they were in the walls, maybe they heard something they weren’t supposed to.

She reached the fig tree field and found lane five. She felt the rocks dig through her shoes as she stepped onto the dusty pathway.
It was going to be hot today.

She positioned herself so she stayed in the shade. She had seen many collapse from heat exhaustion and she didn’t plan on it being her today.

She watched as other slaves filled in around her, picking their trees in their lanes.
The lanes on either side of her where taken by a human male and a female dwarf, who had to climb to get to any of the figs.

That’s rough, buddy.

Guards soon took their place around the orchard to watch.
It was going to be another long day.

—

Zazel arrived at the city much faster than really one else could afford to. With the funds from the warehouse it was possible to get just about anywhere within a certain frame of time.

The city was in moderate disrepair.
It was functioning and people went about their lives but it was rather easy to identify problems.
A lot of shops and homes where partly charred and some places sat abandoned.
Thieves and burglars were stalking around in the shadows.
People went place to place like normal, but the way they held themselves suggested they were longtime residents and they knew that anyone could attempt to mess with them.

There where taverns that lined the streets, some looking more reasonable than others.
He picked a tavern called the Bloated hog and decided to settle in there until her target arrived.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Thu Aug 9, 2018 2:56 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

It was their fourth day, and they had begun to pass more people on the road. Ed sat comfortably in the carriage alone, while Peabody continued to drive them onward. Twinkle had taken to sitting on the roof of the carriage, legs folded beneath her, alternately cradling the little black cat she had brought with her from the skiff, and playing with it. In the rush, Ed had completely forgotten about the cat, but once again his companions had him covered. He had been dropped the ball a lot these last few days. The guilt was eating him up inside. While he could be described as having no scruples, he had never been involved in slavery. It hadn't really occurred to him before now, it had been more of an unconscious decision he supposed, but he found the whole thing distasteful. Yet there he was, selling a girl like she meant nothing. Sure, he had only just met her, but she had agreed to help him in a time of need, and that meant something. After being abandoned by his crew, it meant a lot to have someone choose to join him.

He leaned his head against the wall of the carriage and looked out at the scenery passing by. His mind wandered a little, then, analyzing the disaster of the previous day. Having had a chance to rest and think clearly, he saw now the mistakes he had been making. The last few days had passed so quickly, as if being rushed by some lazy god who just wanted to move things along. From the rushed duel, forceful and surprisingly easy interrogation and then that attack on a random caravan! He realized now that if he and his companions hadn't been so incredibly lucky, then things could have gone horribly wrong. More horribly wrong, anyway. If he had been thinking clearly, the obvious lack of guards should have tipped him off. There had only been a couple of sentries! Then there was the fact that there hadn't been any obvious signs of slaves being transported. In his head he pictured trains of chained slaves walking barefoot, or cages filled with people, on wheels. Sure, they could have been transported in covered wagons, like the caravan they had attacked had been using. But there had been no signs! The plan in itself had been ridiculous. Rush in, use a gust of wind to start fires, hope you didn't get caught? Ridiculous, even by his own standards. If they had been attacking a real slave caravan they would all be dead right now. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but when he and Twinkle had entered the carriage there had been two nobles sat inside. The look of surprise on their faces might have been comical under different circumstances, but Ed had been running on adrenaline, kicking open the opposite door and bundling the two out of the carriage as Peabody had got it moving. If they were to have any hope of saving the girl, he had to get his head straight, and fast. He was craving a drink, though. Something strong. Just to wet his lips with wine would be enough, but they hadn't brought any with them. Just water, plain, boring water. As well as pear juice for Twinkle. Did she run on the stuff?

The fifth day passed much the same as the fourth. Ed and Peabody took turns driving the carriage, switching off each time they stopped to rest the horses so that the other could catch some sleep. The mage didn't seem to sleep, remaining perched on top of the carriage save for when she took the cat down to eat and take care of it's business. How she could possibly know when it needed to go was a mystery to Ed, but he was thankful that she wasn't getting her robes soiled. He had asked her once if she would like clothes that fit her properly, and she had just stared silently at him with those glowing green eyes until he had awkwardly excused himself. Perhaps he would get her something, just to change into while those robes were cleaned. Had they even been cleaned since she had joined his crew? He realized now his thoughts were trailing off, a sign that it was close to time to rest the horses and trade off. He was getting tired.

Ed had taken to caring for the horses himself at the end of his time on the reigns, not wanting to put all the strain on Peabody. He needed his manservant to be sharp and capable when the time came. He had learned his lesson this time, and would lean heavily on his experience. They couldn't afford to keep attacking random strangers and innocents on the road. While it was true that the carriage was speeding them along at an increased pace, shortening the gap between them and their prey with every passing second, there was also the issue of the caravan they had left behind. He and Peabody had done a rush job the night before in removing and concealing any obvious identifying marks that the carriage had, but they had been seen by plenty of witnesses. Guardsmen riding fast and hard could catch them at any time. It all came down to luck. How long would it take to get the caravan ready to move again? Would they send people ahead and behind, moving quickly to try and find a patrol? How long would it take for them to find a patrol, and when they did, would the patrol react immediately or get reinforcements? His mind kept worrying this over, trying to work out how long they might have before his rash actions caught up with all of them.

"Ah, sir. I have some news for you." Peabody approached him carefully, seeing the stress etched across the captain's features. The man was determined to drive himself into an early grave in order to correct his mistake. He couldn't say he approved of this, but at the same time he also wouldn't condone any less from the man. What had cemented him to the captain in the beginning had been the way he had treated the golem girl, refusing to allow her to be treated as an object. The man had made all kinds of brash decisions that night, too, but it had worked out for him and for the stone mage, and for Peabody himself also. He approached the captain, who had taken it upon himself to learn how to tend for the horses. He had had no idea what he was doing the previous day, and he was only making minor mistakes now. He would need to be, carefully so as not to let him know he was being taught something, corrected and set on the right path. But that was for after. He had just been standing by the road, smoking the last of his leaf in his old pipe, when a group of travelers had passed by from the opposite direction. Gentle inquiries and a little coin had revealed that, not even a day's travel down the road, was a caravan transporting slaves in the right direction. He had quizzed them, then, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to know everything and anything he could. If that painted them as a target later on, so be it.

The information gathered wasn't exactly helpful, but it was better than nothing. Obviously common travelers on the road weren't going to be looking at every passing caravan with the eye of someone looking to assault it. But they did remember the basics, a guess at numbers which varied slightly from person to person. It was enough, however, to get a rough idea of what they were going up against. Roughly thirty slaves being led on foot, something along the lines of six guards on foot, and for certain four mounted. That meant, conservatively, they were going to be two against ten. Neither of them wanted to involve Twinkle directly in the fighting. She didn't exactly come across the type that would handle direct violence well, and her magic was extremely limited. Better to have her remain with the carriage and horses, which the day before she had informed Peabody and Ed were named Clip and Clop. They just didn't have the numbers on their side to make this work, not unless they could increase their numbers somehow. After releasing the girl, they could definitely use her magic to bring the odds further into their favor. It was still too risky, though. Not without more people. Where would they get more people willing to fight slavers, in the middle of nowhere, on such short notice? That's when the idea struck him.

On the sixth day they finally saw it in the distance, the slave train. The rest of the day was spent keeping far back so they wouldn't be seen. Being so close, but unable to do anything about it made Ed's teeth itch. He needed to jump into the action, immediately. To make matters worse, the pirate city was only one more day away. If they didn't pull this off tonight, then all bets were off. They would be forced to deal with the slave owner directly, either in a businesslike way or with violence. So they had to make this count, and they couldn't afford any screw ups. If the caravan camped with another group this night then they had agreed to leave it alone, instead of making things worse.

They had decided, in the end, that it would be best for the two of them to separate. The captain was to go after the girl and free the slaves, while Peabody was to see about taking out as many sentries as he could. If he was spotted, it was his duty to make as much of a distraction as possible, to lure the guards away from the slaves and give Ed and the girl a better chance. He had wanted the captain to take the sword, one of the few weapons they had, but had been denied. The argument being that if it came down to it and he needed to cause a distraction then he would need to be able to defend himself. Neither of them spoke about the fact that of the two of them the blade was really only useful if Peabody had it. The captain had become frighteningly serious as it drew closer to the time to move, only talking to confirm details of their plan.

Ed kept low, vision enhanced magically to help him see in the dark of night. He moved slowly, carefully, keeping sound as low as possible. Peabody had stuck with him part of the way, and then simply melted into the shadows, moving so silently yet quickly that Ed couldn't keep track of where he was. Made it look like Ed was stomping and crashing through the undergrowth, shouting his location to the world. Old bastard. Peabody had taken the dagger and sword, leaving Ed with only his throwing knives. It was going to have to be enough. He could make out four shapes standing in the darkness at each corner of the camp, as well as another two stood by he slaves who were huddled together without a fire. That made six, of a possible ten, which meant the ten was more likely to be twelve or more. Their odds were getting shorter, but that would not stop him. He circled out wide before making his way directly towards the slaves. He needed to wait for the signal before striking.

They had decided Peabody would have two main objectives. They needed to even the odds. The slavers had actually set themselves up quite well, avoiding many of the common mistakes. All directions were covered, with separate guards for slaves and another dedicated to the horses. Peabody approached from the opposite side of the camp from the slaves, towards the horses. He had the knife in his hand, smeared with ashes from his pipe to reduce any reflection on the blade from moonlight giving away his approach. He waited for the guard facing northwards to turn for a moment, picking up a canteen. Peabody was on top of him before he even opened it.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Wed Aug 8, 2018 11:24 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

The sound of scratching woke Kamri in the middle of the night.
She sat up, still hugging her journal to her chest as if it was her only lifeline.

It came from the hole in the wall that she had smashed earlier. She got up from her bed quietly, creeping over.

The scratching came once more. Yes, she was sure of it. It was definitely coming from within the walls.
She tucked the book into her robe and began to investigate.

Skritch, skritch

A rat, perhaps?

Skritch, skritch

She placed her hands on the wall and leaned in, peering into the fist sized hole to try and get a glimpse of what might be inside.
She heard the sound of something sharp scraping the wood below. She looked down but wouldn’t quite see the floor. She squinted, trying to adjust to the darkness.
She rubbed her eyes with her hand, trying to clear her vision. When she looked back up, a slit yellow eye was there, peering back at her.

She stumbled back, falling on her way down with a squeak.

The eye blinked before sinking down into the wall.
Kamri wasted no time, getting back up and looking inside. She was surprised to see something vaguely humanoid in shape. It took her a moment but her eyes adjusted. She was able to make out a few scales and the movement of it breathing.
“Hello?” She whispered.
The thing looked up at her, probably standing over a whole foot shorter than she was. It clicked its tongue. Upon seeing her, it reached up a clawed hand and grabbed onto the edge of the hole. Kamri stepped back as it tore into it, making it a bit bigger.

Panic flooded through her veins as it began to tear the wall apart from the inside. She stepped back and tried to devise a plan for attack.
It snorted out through its nose in frustration, not tearing off as many pieces as it would like.
The hole grew bigger to Kamri’s dismay. It stuck it’s snout in the hole, sniffing the air and sticking out its tongue.
It lowly whimpered, trying to claw more pieces of it. It sounded tired.

On a dangerous whim, Kamri took notice of the creatures tone. She inched forward and looked at the hole from a distance again.
It retrieved its snout and looked straight at her from the wall, their eyes meeting once more.

“Kliir laxlaxiccc tick tick grwruuum.”
“I’m… sorry?”
Its speech seemed to be mostly different clicks and inflictions. It rolled its eyes, before tapping the hole. Was it communicating?
“The wall?”
“Xxcilx.”
“Did you want me to… make it bigger?”
It nodded its head. “Xxcilx.”
Its voice was croaky but high pitched.
What should she do? She couldn’t just let it in her room, could she? If Drien saw the mess….

It patted the edge of the hole once more. Kamri quietly crept forward then placed her hands on the wood, pulling as hard as she could.
A plank came loose and she shimmied it open. The creature waited patiently as Kamri continued to remove the boards from outside.
As she removed them, it became clear what he was.
He was a kobold, scaled with muddy green.

The entrance to her room became big enough for it to enter. How did it get in-between the walls?
It had two shackles on its arms. Seems this one was a slave, too.
It stepped into the room and stood for a moment, looking Kamri up and down once.
Yes. She was a human. And she was alive.
Alive was the best status.
The kobold clicked a few times before cantering over to her bed. He patted it for a moment before scrunching up his face with disgust and continuing his self-driving tour of her room. Must hate dust.
“Hey, wait.”
The kobold stopped and turned back to look at her.
“Who are you?”
The Kobold tilted its head and watched her curiously.
Kamri waited for a responce, but all it did was growl lowly for a moment before turning to the wall intent on using the exit.
“Hey! Can’t I come with you?”

It didn’t answer- which didn’t matter. Kamri wouldn’t fit through that hole easily anyway.
It disappeared around the corner.

—

Zazel sat in the back of a horse drawn carriage, a single day away from the town of pirates and slaves. He had means of much faster travel then Ed. He would merely come to the city and wait for him to come by.

By the reports, he wasn’t the brightest in the bunch. A rather dull thing, really.
He only wondered how he know about the place. He needed to get info out of him before ending his life. They couldn’t have info leaking out to likeminded fiends.

The carriage hit a bump, jolting him from his thoughts. The girl. The girl he was with seemed familiar. But how?
It wasn’t his problem. She was a slave now and stood out of the way. He wouldn’t be seeing her again anyhow.

This would be easy.

Author: Goggle, Posted: Wed Aug 8, 2018 2:26 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

The first day passed in a blur. After recounting what had happened to Peabody and Twinkle, they had had to move quickly. Apparently, while in the navy, Peabody had had some dealings with slavers and was a surprising fountain of knowledge. If the girl had been removed from the holding area inside the warehouse then, according to Peabody, that would mean she was already being made ready for transport. They must have been unlucky with their timing, a caravan or ship was likely, even now, being readied for departure. This was a stroke of bad luck. If the criminals had kept her in the warehouse just a little longer they could have broken her out. Now, though, they would need to find out how, where and when she was being moved. It was troublesome, and it looked like it was going to be near impossible. They had the name and location of the destination, though. If they gave up on her now, they could just make their way there. But Ed refused to even consider this as an option. He was adamant that they would get her back, and they would do it now. The less time she spent a slave, because of him, the better.

They stowed the boat at his slip, and took everything of value from it, then headed for the Salty Barrel. They would have to travel light, if they were going to travel fast. Which meant leaving anything they didn't need behind. They had a room here, for a base of operations. He would just pay it ahead for the next month to be safe. He had the silver for it, now. The thought of the silver made him nauseous. It felt like he had sold the girl. He would use it all to get her back if he had to. Bribe whoever needed to be bribed. Pay off officials. Hire on muscle. Whatever it took, they would get the girl back. Nobody on his crew was going to be abandoned. They stashed their gear, anything they wouldn't be traveling with. Peabody took the bulk of necessities in a backpack, with Ed taking the rest in a bag. Twinkle, being small, would need to be unencumbered to keep up. He was planning for an overland route, but the basics would work just as well if they needed to take the boat after a slave ship.

They went down into the bar, then. Twinkle clung to Peabody's shadow, never moving far from him, as if taking comfort from him in these new surroundings. She had tried to do the same to Ed, but he had shaken her off, explaining he needed to move fast tonight. He might need to do things she was better off not seeing. So she attached herself to Peabody. Ed knew she would be safe with him. He expected them to go from tavern to inn, offering silver for information on any slave shipments heading to Drein. Ed would be doing something similar, but in the darker side of town. The side of town that even now might be looking for him. The two guards must have been discovered hours ago, and his description must have been handed out everywhere. He dressed simply, back in tunic, pants and coat. No disguises, no bright finery. Just what he needed to get the job done. A man approached the three of them, looking nervously from Ed to Peabody, eyes never resting for long.

"I''m, er, meant to give, er, one of you information on a, er, duel?" Ed stared at the man blankly, wondering what fresh nonsense this could be. Opening his mouth to send the man on his way with a number of harsh words, he suddenly remembered his brash actions from this morning. He didn't have time for this! But he was sure, if it had gone this far, he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it. He would need to use magic and make it fast, then be on his way. He spun in place, grabbing the rapier at Peabody's side and drawing it in a fluid motion. With more confidence than he felt, he had never been any good with a blade, he lowered it at the now wide eyed man's neck. "Hold up! Hold up! He's at the bar! Wants to get it over with! Needs to get back to work, like. Gamblers are going without their games the longer he waits here!" Ed froze in place. Gamblers?

The duel, if it could be considered a true duel, did not last long. The met outside, in the dark where Ed was able to use magic to improve his vision. The thug had a short sword, no match for the length of Ed's rapier. Ed used strength and speed magics, so the second the duel began he had covered the distance. A flick of the blade severed a tendon in the man's wrist, sending the blade flying. Even while cheating with magic, the skill it took for Ed to accomplish this was very unlike him. Thinking he had a shot here at getting information, he became focused in a way he had only been a handful of times in his life. The point of the blade was pressed against the man's throat a second later. "You…. You cheated!" He whined, pain flavoring his voice with a nasal tone. "That's not faaaair!"
"My good man, if I kill you right now, who will even care if it's fair? You have one chance to see this night through, and that is if you give me the information I need."

The information had been vague, but it was a place to start. All slaves marked for Drein were sent over land, so they were looking for a caravan. They had moved quickly again after that, looking at the caravans inside the city that were being prepared to leave. It was a waste of time, giving their quarry an even larger head start. Ed became more and more frustrated as the night drew on, calling for them to run off immediately into the night to find the caravan and the girl. Peabody, not wanting to slow them down, had to make Ed see reason. He laid out all the ways that leaving now, in the dark and without rest would see this rescue ending before it even began. It took some doing, but Ed relented. They spent that night in a cheap in by the city's gate.

The second day was pure hell for Ed. Peabody, the old bastard, set a demanding pace as they left. Not an all out sprint, but a speed that ate the distance as the day went on without slowing. Even while the man carried a pack, he didn't seem effected. Twinkle, too, didn't seem to care. Her large robes billowing around her, small frame in the wind, she took to scouting ahead for them. While Ed, bag in hand, trailed further and further behind, chest heaving, lungs burning. They had to stop for him multiple times. He just wasn't built for this kind of thing!

The third day, Twinkle took the pack and the bag, unaffected by their weight. When Ed questioned Peabody on how she could carry so much, move so fast an never seem to need to catch her breath, the old sailor looked at him strangely. Their pace was much slower, and it was all Ed's fault. He was slowing them down, he knew it. Late into the day they saw a caravan ahead of them. It was dark by the time they caught up to it. They agreed, that as it was the only one they had seen so far, and with how soon they had left, that it was likely to be their target. Or, Ed agreed and would listen to know other suggestions. There would be no scouting ahead, no wasting more time. Not after all the time he had wasted so far.

They struck in the middle of the night, waiting for the majority of the camp to be asleep, save for the few guards. Ed had to admit, as they got closer, it didn't look much like a slave caravan. Sneaking through the dark, Peabody and Ed made their way to one of the sentries, a man stood alone in front of a fire. Ed had planned on being the one to subdue him, but Peabody had moved fast, coming up behind the man and wrestling him to the ground. Ed couldn't tell if the sailor killed the man, or rendered him unconscious. It didn't matter. Twinkle used her magic to bring a gust of air along, blowing embers from the fire across the camp. Crouched low, the three of them waited, hoping.

Enough of the embers caught and spread flames, though it felt like it took hours to Ed. As people awoke and alarms were raised, the three of them started running through the commotion. They were looking for the slaves, hoping to free them all in the confusion. They banked on people being too distracted to recognise them as strangers immediately, and by the time they did, the slaved would be freed and they would have the girl again. The problem was, there didn't seem to be any slaves. There seemed to be a lot of wagons carrying silks, and spices, though. It was the wrong caravan.

Horses had been attached to a carriage, which was being quickly prepared to take away whoever was in charge, to get them to safety while the caravan was rescued from the flames. It was liberated by the three heroes, Ed and Twinkle jumping inside while Peabody took the reigns from a confused handler. The carriage was gone before anyone could raise another alarm.

Author: ShyStone, Posted: Thu Aug 9, 2018 4:41 PM, Post Subject: [P, R] Step in the Dark

Kamri closed her teacher's journal and placed it on the shelf, laying on top of it, pretending to be ready to go to sleep. 
Drein came by her cell, unlocking the door and checking up on her. 
"Already sleeping? I didn't say you could." 
"I heard you coming. I figured I would make less trouble."
"Make less trouble what?"
Kamri held back a sigh. "Make less trouble, Master Drien." 
"That's better. A guard will wake you in six hours." He closed the door and locked it, leaving. 

Kamri shifted around, turning her back to the door and hugging the journal to her chest. 
She took a few deep breaths, and tried to get to sleep. Sleep had been elusive and she could use some. 

"Traitor." She mumbled. 
"I hope I never see him again. I bet he's laughing with a bunch of women right now."

—

Nose sat at a table, sketching what seemed to be a bald man and a deformed woman. His drawings where crude and ill made. 
He pushed the paper toward the cloaked man in the other chair. 
"Twas dem. The baldy and the scarred girl." 
The hooded figure took the paper in his hands and stared at it for a while. The drawings where useless but he had seen the two himself just a few days prior. 
"The girl was sent off to become a slave. I can't kill her. The bald one though shouldn't be a problem. Last I heard he tried to go after her. Damn fool." 
He stood up and pocketed the image, just in case. "I'll be setting off by tomorrow. I have my ways of getting around. I'll catch up soon."
He turned to leave. Nose perked up.
"Thanks for finding me and bringing Burt and I back inside. Most guards are just replaced."
"Well, I suppose you could say I have some empathy towards you and your men. I too was once in those ranks." 
He opened the door, exiting.
"If I were you, I would take the other injured guard and go on vacation. Relax a little. Otherwise your emotional and mental state might be in danger." 
Nose sniffed. "Yessir. I'll see ta' it." 
The cloaked man left out the door, his coat trailing behind him on his way out. 

Nose sat in the now closed warehouse, finishing up his bandages. Maybe it was time for a vacation.