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Post by karaikou on Aug 27, 2015 13:03:00 GMT
"Corruption turns them into slaves, the Citadel turns them into slaves, it's no different. At least they have memories and emotions to seek comfort in which I feel is better than being turned into a rabid shadow of oneself who will kill their own family, parents, children, pets, and what not to please an underworld beast." He argued. "You don't see it the way we do. Many of us accept the fact and embrace it as our purpose, that's life and we just happened to draw the short straw. I'm glad I have a more meaningful purpose however. Being someone's sex or kitchen slave is far more degrading."
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 27, 2015 13:14:59 GMT
"I don't see it that way because it's not how things were supposed to be. It's wrong. It's just... It is. People aren't supposed to treat others that way." The conversation had done nothing to improve her mood, and without a word she began to lag back, enough to make it difficult to hold a conversation without prompting him into thinking she was trying to run away.
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Post by karaikou on Aug 27, 2015 13:24:49 GMT
He didn't bother starting conversation for the rest of the trip and fortunately for them their journey had been uneventful, skies clear of bone dragons, whyverns and other large predators. The grasslands were relevantly free of corruption as well, though corpses laid dotted occasionally along their path. A sign that they weren't too far behind the mage.
Once the several days had passed, the two found themselves within sight of the cold stone city. It was dawn, the most light they were going to get, however the daylight hours lasted longer here, where they were closer to the border. Tyarnach was nervous. They had to enter through those gates where they'd likely be shot on sight, even though Tyarnach was only hours behind his master. And Kee was a free victim for just about any citizen to pounce on.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 27, 2015 13:30:55 GMT
Sometime during their trip Kee had shifted to her other form and remained as such, finding it easier for so much walking. Now, she regarded the gates with a visible note of apprehension. There was no leash or shackle or any such device that kept someone from nabbing her, and no amount of willpower on her part could stand against a city full of, as she saw it, violent thugs. But, with a sigh, she looked down at her would-be captor. "Take heart, I suppose, that if we're hurt but not killed immediately, I can at least heal whatever wounds we incur. Unless you have some alternate way of taking me through this place where I won't become a convenient coat and meal?"
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Post by karaikou on Aug 27, 2015 14:10:06 GMT
Tyarnach had an idea and didn't seem too bothered about Kee's concern when it came to their entry. "We'll go around behind. There's another entrance but that doesn't mean it's any safer on the other side." He knew a way into the pit fighting arena which would be closed at this time of day, althought it wasn't as much a way in as it was a way out.
He kept his footsteps quiet as they crept behind old, deserted houses on the outskirts of the Citadel's walls, their abandonment gave an eerie feel, especially when it looked like it was haunted, the remains of bipedal creatures, unlucky slaves and those that had died of starvation laid scattered about, in buildings and in the dirt. Back in the day it might have been a beautiful, flourishing city, but now it looked almost post apocalyptic.
Roost Wyverns, vulcher like creatures thought to be distant and small relatives of dragons perched on sword hilts and roof tops, more flocking as if they were eagerly waiting for Kee or Tyarnach to separate just enough that they'd score a fresh meal. Their bone armor clattered as they moved.
"Keep your head down, this place might look abandoned but it's not. Some of the 'people' residing here will eat us both without second thought. I guess you could say this area is the city's slums." The blue beast whispered cautiously. "They're cannibals who will eat even their own young. The old twisted tree in center square there is where they make tributes to Scale, sacrificing anything they capture before devouring them." Her large presence would draw them out faster than Tyarnach could be surrounded by trapspiders.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 27, 2015 14:40:34 GMT
Kee cocked her head warily at the Roost Wyverns and moved in closer to Tyarnach's side, giving him just enough space to lead. There were some creatures, no matter how natural they might be, that simply unsettled her. Roost Wyverns were among them due to their tendency to collect bones. Watching them, she nearly tripped over the remains of what was likely a slave, stumbling and hurrying to right herself. The best that could be said was that she was quiet as she found her footing again, but it was hard to maneuver stealthily with her antlers and hooves shining faintly.
"It's reassuring to know that if I do escape from this city, I'll have even more danger to face on the outside, before I can reach the forest," She muttered in the closest thing she had to a cynical tone. "And this route is preferable to entering from the front gate?"
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Post by karaikou on Aug 27, 2015 23:40:37 GMT
"Preferable if you'd rather stay with me." He replied in a whisper, even with Kee's stumbling and the sound of flocking roost Wyverns, they hadn't seemed to alert the residents yet. And that was something to be relieved about.
"I know of another entrance, one that we're going to use but I don't think you'll like it." Not long after, they arrived. Staring down into a 'stream' of discarded waste, bones and blood. Everything about it hurt his nose but at least it wasn't guarded, though rats and other feral animals could be seen fishing out rotten scraps, some even swam through the bloody water.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 28, 2015 1:51:46 GMT
Kee stared at the waste water with a shiver of disgust, her nose crinkling at the stench. He was right, she didn't like the thought of trudging through the byproducts of death. The smell alone made her stomach twist and turn and her skin crawled as she imagined stepping over bones and enterprising little rats.
"I'm not thrilled about it," She confirmed with a slight wheeze, desperately trying to find a way to breathe that didn't involve smelling or 'tasting' the air. "But it's slightly better than being chopped to pieces or something of that sort, so if we're going to do it, we should do it quickly."
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Post by karaikou on Aug 28, 2015 2:25:08 GMT
They made haste. Just beyond the stream was a tunnel, some kind of large drainage pipe. And with careful steps they were able to avoid slipping into the water though the ground was muddy and slippery from the moisture. Old bits of stone wall could be used as a kind of 'ladder' to climb the wall to where the grate was.
"Watch your step." He warned before jarring his horns into the gaps, lifting it and revealing light and fresh air. He climbed up through the hole and waited for Kee to follow.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 28, 2015 3:37:34 GMT
Kee found she had to shift shape simply to climb up the bits of wall and reach the exit, though it was likely for the best. Her antlers would have drawn that much more attention to them both as she followed Tyarnach through the grate. The first thing she did was take in deep breaths of fresh air, free of the horrifying stench of rot. "I'd rather not repeat that experience if I can help it. How often have you gone through such a place?"
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Post by karaikou on Aug 28, 2015 4:15:06 GMT
"That was my first time." He chuckled, looking around and shaking the moisture of death from his fur. "I'be seen things washed down there after the fights, what can't be salvaged for food often ends up down there." Tyarnach took a moment to recognize his surroundings. They had appeared in what seemed to be some kind of arena, though there were no boundaries, only cold concrete seats which appeared more like stairs, they had an uncomfortable look, but Tyarnach had no intention of sitting on them, instead he climbed them to get a better look at their options.
"No one's around." He confirmed. "Meaning people are most likely at the marketplace or center square." He didn't expect Kee to know of the locations but what he was saying meant good news, they were less likely to get killed or worse.
"The stench has obscured my sense of smell so there's no point trying to take you to master directly." He pondered, trying to think of the best way to make an appearance. "We could home I suppose. Which is I think... That way." He jumped down the steps and headed in the direction he thought 'Home' was.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 28, 2015 4:28:43 GMT
The arena, although empty, made her feel even more nervous. She saw it only as a place for wanton violence and couldn't help but imagine herself being forced to fight for her life against monsters triple her size. It wasn't likely, at least maybe not with Cyburn. It would be her death, after all, and the end of her powers. But the thoughts were enough to unnerve her, and she followed Tyarnach closely, practically sticking to his flank.
"You don't know which way is home? Haven't you lived here for a long time?" The longer they were in this city, the more and more she felt it was a bad plan to let herself be taken. Even though she had been given guidance by Mystic and had a goal for being here beyond simply protecting the forest, every instinct begged her to try to run back home. "Wouldn't it be safer to find a place to hide until you know for sure where we're going?"
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Post by karaikou on Aug 28, 2015 5:04:50 GMT
"I don't often walk the city. Usually I'm transported place to place." Tyarnach argued as he led the spirit into the streets. Her suggestion of hiding was considerable but not ideal. "If we did that, the punishments would be worse." Ahead of them the windy dark streets lead to a large castle and various mansion sized houses near by. He was heading in the right direction as the streets became cleaner but somewhat more sinister.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 28, 2015 6:06:09 GMT
"It's nice to see Cyburn trusts you so much, given your loyalty to him," She couldn't help but remark bitterly, but immediately felt guilty. She knew magic and Cyburn were the real ones at fault, not Tyarnach. "Sorry. It just seems silly he wouldn't let you walk the streets on your own or something." Given she was about to be captive herself and his was the only friendly face in the entire Citadel, she didn't want to upset him too much.
"At least the houses look... clean." She would have said 'nice', but truthfully, it all looked foreign and felt unpleasant. To her, home and comfort was out in the wild, and the luxury of such impossibly large homes seemed pointless to her. Who needed so much to be comfortable? Not to mention they seemed to have an air of malice to her. "Why are they all so big? Surely there's not that many people living in each one."
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Post by karaikou on Aug 28, 2015 6:31:11 GMT
"It's not that he doesn't trust me. It's that I'm too valuable." They continued to walk until they arrived at the terrace where Tyarnach stood, trying his best to pick up familiar scents. "This city used to be known as the city of dragons, homes were built to shelter humans who, long ago, held a truce with and learnt magic from the ancient creatures."
His nose twitched when he finally picked up the smell of home, and he even perked up a little, relieved to know that they would soon be safe from random attacks.
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