The Furry Forums
Creative Arts and Media => Roleplay => Serious RP => Topic started by: Grace.E on June 24, 2011, 05:58:43 AM
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Tiamat laid in her cage, the muzzle strapped tightly around her elegant snout. she had the desperate desire to stretch her wings but her wings were strapped. something banged against her cage. she opened one eye and two gaurds were taunting her...again
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behind in the distance of the tunnle 2 gaurds were holding a black unicorn anthro, hooves dragging across the ground and unconsious.
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Balzhamest rocked back and forth in the corner of a cavern, alone save but the insects underfoot. The voices... the sounds... they needed to stop... "Leave me alone!" Balzhamest screamed. A small 'eep!' came from behind a rock just to his right, and he moved it. There was a small mouse. "No, i didn't mean you, little guy. Here, come with me back to work. I'll keep you safe." With that, Balzhamest left to the main area of the mine, where his absence had gone unnoticed.
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Sarah walked in her cage, forced into it by the weapons of the humans. She walks quietly and peaceful. Working extremely hard in the past week has made her lose her energy for fighting the harassment of the guards. It's been almost a month since she's acted up out of frustration to the guards. Normally she would become angry and feisty after just a few unnecessary pokes in her back from the spears, but lately she has lost her will to fight on her own behalf. She lays down in her pathetic, small bed without looking back at the guards as they leave and goes straight to sleep after the long day of slave labor she has had to endure.
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Dominic wakes up with the voices; put him in this cell, wel find what to do with him later; the gaurds push him in and close the cell.. moaning he slowly stands up, feeling dizzy,
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Olaris quickly sifted through a small pile, tapping each ore that was mined that day with the tip of his claw before seperating them into other even larger piles, and, with each ore he inspected he made a quick dash on a sheet of paper. He didn't pay any mind to the guards he were snickering at him from behind his back. When he had made his final mark, he glanched through it to make sure he didn't miss anything before, converting them into actuall numbers and standing up. "I am done..." he said in a very slured manner handing over the document. Obviously he was showing signs from a lack of a few days worth of sleep as he stumbled after the guards who tugged his chain through the cavern.
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For the first time in two hundred years Drake opened his eyes. It was not a glorious awakening, there was nobody there to greet him. Rather his world was filled with anguish as he tried to piece together what had happened. Yes, he remembered now, there had been a snow storm, he had fallen into the snow and somehow let it overtake him....but now where was he? Drake struggled to his feet and flew off in search of his life.
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Balzhamest pounded at the rock beneath him. HE heard the voices, but there was no way to block them out. He pounded the rock with renewed vigor... anger... hate... 'When will we be fre-I hate the-Drag-These monst-Why dont we just-' Balzhamest stopped and covered his ears, but it didn't help. He crouched there for what seemed like an eternity, when- "Hey, are you all right?" Balzhamest looked up, into the face of a human girl. He shied away from her. "Are you okay? Wow, I didn't know anthros were this... animal like. I think your cute! My name is Marissa, and I'm 8." She stood straight up. "How old are you? And what's your name?" Balzhamest's voice came out in a harsh rasp, he barely ever speaks. "Balzhamest. My age... is somewhat close to around a human's 29 years old." Marissa nodded. "Do you think I could play with you?" Balzhamest gave her a startled look. "Pl-play with me? Isn't there a rule against that?" Marissa shrugged. "I don't know. But rules are meant to be broken." Balzhamest decided then that this child.. he was going to be her guardian.
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Tiamat was dragged out of her cage, she was seperated with the other dragons, not allowed to socialize. there was hardly any life left in her, she was considered going to slow so the guard whipped her, she barely made a sound as she moved out of the cave, a anthro came and took her reins. hooking her up to a cart, it was her long shift now. "come on girly" the anthro told her, she moved, cat was heavy with rocks, soil and minerals. the sun was high and the heat was barely tolerable.
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A bad dream comes across Sarah in the night, which has become quite a common experience. She awakes, sits on the bed, and rubs her eyes to get the images out of her head. Standing up in her small cage, she begins to walk back and forth in the limited space she has available. This has almost become routine every night. Her hands glide across the metal of the cage as she feels it cold, iron bars. Slowly she calms herself down from the dream and relaxes her body. Sleep begins to find her once more.
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Drake hunted for something to feed his gnawing hunger, but his efforts proved futile. The valley was all different, as if he had been away for some time. Drake shook his head, no that was ridiculous, he probably had only been unconscious for a few hours and was still a little messed up in the head. Drake had to focus on returning to his clan. Off in the distance he spied smoke wafting up from a fire...
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The fox barely managed to stay coordinated enough to keep himself from tripping on his own chains as he followed the guards to his next destination. He took a quick glance at the carts being moved by the dragons, until he nearly fell over from the guards giving him a push.
“Hurry up!” the guard told him.
“I am sorry, but I am afraid that you have nothing to worry about.” he sighed, “After all, your not going anywhere, now are you chap?”
The guards only rolled there eyes as they raised there foot and kicked him the back to shove him inside his cage, where he fell to the ground flat on his face. They slammed the door shut and locked it as Olaris reached for a nearby stone and pulled it closer.
He took a long look at it and smiled “Sorry friend.” he stared at his “friend” for some time before curling around it yawning “Don't give me that, I had to stay a bit longer to finish inventory...” he trailed off as he fell asleep.
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Dominic was furious, he decided to make noise, insulting the gaurds. one gaurd was sent over to take care of it " hey!! nock it off before you get in big trouble," the gaurd threatend.. "oohh why dont you try it! come on brave soul," Dominic replied.. the gaurd grew in rage, he opened the cage and started to hit Dominic.. Dominic took the 1st two hits but then he shoved the gaurd back and off balence, the gave a hard kick in the head, giving the gaurd a heavy concusion.. Then he jumped out of the cell and 3 more gaurds came charging at him.. Dominics yellow eyes flashed with a raged temper.. punching towards the gaurds but still far distance, fire came out.. and burned 1 gaurd.. the other 2 tackled Dominic, and brought him down to where he couldnt move.. The Gaurds conversated about the fire, and figured it was Dominics horn.. " see that horn! Cut it off!! "
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The door to the small pitch black room opened. The lantern carried by the human walking in lit up the room, waking Sarah. "Good news for you" said the guard, "You'll only have to spend one more night in this small room. Because of your recent good behavior we'll be moving you back into the group sleeping facility after tonight. I hope this will teach you not to act up like you usually do" Sarah hated the group sleeping facility. They allowed light in so that she could see all of the other anthros sleeping. Plus the other anthros ignored her because they didn't want to be associated with the slaves that act up. She much preferred to be by herself, in a room she couldn't see anything in. It helped her forget where she was. "Just wonderful, I swear if anyone gives me any trouble today I'm going to fight them just so I don't have to be in that god forsaken facility" She thought to herself.
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Drake flew towards the smoke, maybe whoever made that fire knew the way to his clan's homeland. He landed on a cliff above the camp and was about to descend when he felt the cold metal of a trap close over his leg.
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Olaris groggily opened his eyes and set his stone friend down before looking out of his cage to what appears to be a Unicorn putting up a fight. He watched the entire scene and was about to go back to sleep when he was captured. However his eyes slowly popped open as the guard told them to hack it off.
He slowly pushed himself up stretching before clearing his throat and speaking out to them “Excuse sir... care to spare a moment?” He was now completely standing up, leaning against the bars with his arms wrapped around the outside casually.
“Before you continue. Lets... reevaluate this shall we? Doesn't that ability of his pique your interest? And if it did for you, wouldn't that mark him as an exotic species? Now say if his horn was the source of his abilities, and you hack it off, well congrats. You still have the same pay, and he is docked of a horn. Leave the horn, and mention this to your superiors.... well the reward might be even greater. Wouldn't that be nice? But don't mind me... its your choice.” he explained as turned his head to the Unicorn he mumbled something under his breath in another language that he might be able to pick up “If you want to keep your pride try not to act up.” he then turned back to the human
"just some food for thought... Well... food for your gut" he hinted to the guard pulling away from the bars.
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Dominic looks at Olaris with some understandment.. The gaurds thought for a monment, then 1 said "not a bad idea! we can use this horned nag for a better use.. " the gaurds pick Dominic up and carried him to the superiors place..
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Tiamat sighed heavily as the last of the gear was taken off. she smelled humans coming her way...it was the young prince himself, coming to see her? he was a juvenile, he had a cocky smirk about him and she didn't like it.
"Untie him this instant, I wish to take him as my dragon steed"
his friends nodded behind him, her care taker said nothing but one of the watcher spoke for them. "your highness, are you sure...Tiamat has no life within her"
"its a she?"
"yes... one of the few female dragons miners"
the Prince snorted "I here by claim this dragon as mine, father said I am allowed too, its my birthday"
Tiamat could not believe this was happening to her, she rolled her eyes inside her head as she stretched her head and shook it, everyone tensed except for her caretaker, who gave her a 'you better behave' look.
"If you want a dragon your highness, why not a male, more powerful and feisty"
"this is not an argument of sex, I want this dragon, I have had my eye on it for sometime" the watcher sighed and ordered to give Tiamat to the Prince...
at the Palace, they cleaned her and removed her rusty, Iron collar and replaced it with a silver and emerald one, along with a black bridal and saddle made for dragons. she didn't mind the cleaning but she was now gonna be the pleasure steed for a .... spoiled prince.
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Olaris waved dismissively to the Unicorn “Good luck~” he called after him before lying back down with his rock. He stretched for a moment before pulling the small stone into his lap, rubbing the top idly with his hand. He could only yawn and stare through the bars, as he was pretty much specifically isolated from the other cage. He glanced back down to the chunk of stone and mumbled something to it, and waited for a response as if it was an actual being.
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the two gaurds carying Dominic came out of the mines.. the saw the prince with the Dragon.. they came over to them.. " prince, sir.. this is a recently captured black unicorn anthro.. he picked up a fight & might have killed 2 gaurds.. for shure 1 is dead.. this nag can bend fire! what shal we do with it" Dominic looked at the dragon for a few seconds amazed, he had never seen one in years
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In the Overseer's office, a book-keeper runs out the door as various paper weights are thrown in his general direction. Mavelli's assistant comes in shortly after, noticing the nobleman apparently getting ready for battle. "I have heard no reports of an uprising, why are you donning armor?" "That idiotic cousin of mine, thinks he can just walk in and take a worker as a mount. A female dragon no less!. "You know what your uncle, the King, will do if he sees you act this-" "I don't give half a copper coin what his father sees me as, I will at least beat that little blighter for walking off with a worker and reserved breeder!" Mavelli went out the door and towards his steed.
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the Prince mounted Tiamat as his father came out of the castle to see his teenage son riding proudly on a dragons back. "well well well... my son, don't you look magnificent... the female you chose is lovely"
"Isn't she father, elegant, lean, agile...she was made for speed and endurance"
"now now son...don't get too cocky, if your cousin found out about this, he may hurt you" the prince laughed at his fathers words "with my steed at my command, he cant do anything"
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Drake was dragged by many men in his bounds. How dare they, Drake raged, attack one of the dragon kind? They were no more than insects to him! He thrashed in his bonds to no avail, and the world faded away into the darkness of unconsciousness..
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Mavelli had left the mines to the care of his 'secretary' Eliandra, a red fox anthro that used to be his personal servant until he became Overseer. She was at least more focused on how the mines were faring than Mavelli, as her family and friends were still working there. She was just as domineering as her boss despite the fact that she was consistently passive when Mavelli was around.
In half the time it took for him to be informed that Tiamat was taken away, he had arrived at the castle and dismounted his horse before going to his cousin with violence heavy on the mind.
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The guard spoke again "Today you're assigned to clean the sheep skin in the morning and than you are to report to the tannery at mid-day. Got it?" Sarah nodded and responded softly, "Yes sir" The guard took her down the hallway and down a staircase to the workroom. It was a very large room that held dozens of anthros, all cleaning, sewing, and doing such activities. There were about a 10 guards in the room, all well armed which removed any chance of escape for the slaves. "You're quota is the same as yesterday. Get to work" the guard removed her shackles and pushed her into her work station. She began cleaning the skins and her mind wandered as it usually does. "You know most of the anthros here don't even know what its like outside of this place. What would life be like not being a slave? They would have to do something all day. It can't be that much better can it? I mean, I get food and water everyday and a place to sleep everynight. Does everyone outside these walls have that? Plus I don't really mind doing what I do all day. I've never known anything else. It's comfortable for me and I'm the best at it. No one else can do all this stuff as fast as I can. My quota is twice the amount as most of the workers here because of it. I like being the best...so would I escape if I had the opportunity? I would certainly be put to death if I even tried. What would be out there for me? I wouldn't have anywhere to go...But I know the first thing I would do...I don't even know if I can...My wings are weak and scared from the beatings and whippings. But just to be able to try and fly might make it all worth while." Her mind continues to wander on such things...
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"Speak of the devil..." the king spoke, with a heavy sigh, seeing his armor "now now nephew... there is no need to be Violent" he said sternly. "why you so riled up about this dragon anyways?"
Tiamat saw a nobleman enter the courtyard, her amber eyes staring at him. her withers quivered and her emerald scales sparkled in the light, she felt used. the jeweled collar around her neck hung gently around her neck. the bridal was just a lighter version of a muzzle. she felt like she was back at the mines...but she looked to clean for the mines.
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Balzhamest was happy. For the first time in his life, truly, honestly happy. The girl, Marissa, turned out to be the daughter of a noble, who was able to bribe the guards for a couple of hours each day to let Marissa play with him.
"What was it like back at your home?" She asked, while they were sitting on the edge of an underground lake.
"My home...?" Balzhamest said. "I grew up in these mines, or so far as I know. I barely remember anything." He frowned for a moment, but then smiled. "My turn to ask you a question. Why don't you have a problem with me? Being an anthro and all."
"That's how I was raised. At least, thats how my father raised me."
"What about your mother?"
Marissa grew silent. She frowned and started to cry. Balzhamest put an arm around her protectively.
A sudden loud crash was heard, closely followed by a scream.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER, YOU MONSTER!" A shrill voice screamed. Balzhamest turned around, in time to see a fist go straight into his face. It was in a gauntlet too... didn't exactly feel mush better Balzhamest mused.
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Mavelli was about to walk past the king, but stopped when he said 'this dragon'. "This dragon, is only one of a few hundred or so left. If it wasn't for your 'Crusade against the scaled monstrosities', I would be fine with my bratty cousin taking a dragon since there would be more to pick from! As of right now, you will likely lose anywhere from a tenth to a fifth of your supply of minerals since my cousin decided to take Tiamat out of all the females there were!"
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Drake awoke in a cage. Where was he? Next to him a dragon stirred...
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Balzhamest awoke, to find himself in a cell. He peered through the bars, the room was empty, save for two dragons. He couldn't hear the thoughts somehow. "How could a dragon be caught?" He wondered aloud.
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Sarah reached her quota an hour before sun-down but continued to work because she wasn't yet tired and didn't want to sleep. Finally, a guard different than the one this morning came are removed her from her work station and put on her hand restraints. On her way back to her cell she overheard the guard from this morning talking about her, "You know I'm really glad that stupid hawk anthro stopped acting up lately. She was a real pain in my *** every morning. My arm even got tired from whipping her so much, not that I didn't enjoy hurting the little brat."
Her and the guard continued up the stairs and down the hall. She stared at the window at the end of the hall. It was the only one she had seen without bars over it. She had no idea why it didn't have bars. She had never gotten the chance to get close to it, since she is always taken straight to her cell. While they are walking the guard states, "I'm really glad you've decided to lighten up. I don't know whats gotten into you but it makes everyone's life easier this way." Sarah walks into her cage without saying anything and curls up into her small bed without looking back at the guard once again. She was thinking about flying all day, so she almost acting up towards the guard simply because she was aggravated over not being able to fly, but something kept her from doing so. The guard left and the door closed, once again leaving her in the pitch black room.
As she fell asleep she thought to herself "What HAS gotten into me...Maybe I've just finally given into them. Maybe I'm finally a mindless slave that wouldn't even escape given the chance..."
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"Where the hell are we?" Drake snarled at his cage-mate, "how dare they just capture a member of my clan! We could hunt their kind like the animals they are!" Drake's anger abated when he saw his new friend's incredulous look, as if what he were saying didn't make any sense.
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"Nephew, there are plenty of females to choose from in the breeder sector. unless you have a good special reason why you come all this way to take ...Tiamat out of the miners work?"
The Prince looked at Tiamat "Tiamat... I can tell from her breeding that she was bred out of the finest sire and dam... hailsmen, bring forth the breeders records" Tiamat snorted at the request. she felt like a horse, with this stupid saddle and bridal on, though she liked the fact that could open her mouth. "Cousin, do you desire her as well?" The Prince asked "you put her in the mines where she is not fit to be there"
a man returned with the record and the king read through it after a minute or so he looked at Tiamat. "so...your the youngest female... sired by Kamaul and Kyrra... my finest of the fine dragons....Kamaul a great war dragon with endurance to last several battle field and Kyrra the fastest female out there...I see you have obtained your mothers coloring...is that why you are so protective of Tiamat Mavelli, she is the youngest of all the dragon females?" the king looked at Tiamat. "I command you to speak she-dragon, is this your heritage"
Tiamat lowered her head...the thought of her mother, she looked at the king with sad, spiritless eyes. yes... they are my parents, last female ever to be bred in fifteen years
the king sighed "yes...indeed it is hard to breed females... since they only lay one egg at a time"
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Balzhamest sighed. An old one, must have slept through the past... Balzhamest didn't know exactly how many years, but it was definitely a long time. "We are in a mine, forced to work for our lives. They captured you because they can, and they in general hate everything about anthros, dragons, etcetera, unless you are one of their personal slaves."
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the 2 gaurds caried Dominic back into the mines.. "put him with the dragons.. any creature with fire should stay in a fire hazard area." Dominic was put into a cell near drakes cell.. as the gaurds locked the cell, Dominic turned in short rage, and shot fire at the gaurd.. the gaurd dodged then turned around point his finger at Dominic.. " you better watch it nag! or ill... the other gaurd grabbed his shoulder " just stay away from him.. hes full of dark magic.. who knows what else hes capable of.." the gaurds left to there posts.. Dominic sat down on the ground and mumbled.
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Leo looked up at the guards who now came to his cage and unlocked it. “Time for cleaning I presume?” he asked the guard who nodded in return. “Very well~” he chirped as he stood up setting his rock to the side. He took a brief moment to stretch before walking outside of the cage.
The guards took him closer to the dragons, where he caught sight of the unicorn again. “Ah... we meet again, and you look quite exquisite old friend~” he joked with a smile nodding to the horn “I don't have long, so tell me how did it go?”
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Another bad dream wakes up Sarah. Once again she rubs the images out of her eyes and stands in her cell. She paces back and forth as she usually does, glancing her hands back and forth across the cages iron bars. But something is wrong..."did the cage just...move?" She grasps it a little harder and she became certain it was left open. "Have I really been so nice that the guard wasn't even bothered to finish closing the cell door all the way?" The cell door didn't need a key to be locked, it just had to be closed, so if the guard simply didn't push it all the way closed, the lock didn't latch. Sarah opens the cell door and begins to feel around the room, so she can get to the door that exits into the hallway.
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"What are you talking about?" Drake thrashed some more. How exactly long had he been unconscious? He was beginning to suspect that it had been a bit more than just a few hours. "Exactly what date is it?" Drake narrowed his eyes as he asked.
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Mavelli seemed more frustrated than angry as the king asked his reason. "I'm going on an expedition into the mountains for new mineral veins, since I cannot use slave labor for private reasons while my mine is run by slaves, I was going to pay for her freedom like I did for my Eliandra. Now can you get off my buisness partner before I remove you myself?"
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Once Sarah found the door she paused. She thought to herself, "I could just go back in my cage and act like this never happened...Do I really want to try and escape? This place isn't that bad. Suddenly she realized exactly what she said to herself and how she has been acting the last month. "Wait...did I just say this place isn't that bad? What is wrong with me?! I've got to get out of here! I can't turn into the other workers!" She tries desperately to turn the handle but it doesn't budge. Her mood become more and more frantic. She starts to be afraid of what she might become if she stayed in the place any longer. NO! I have to get out of here! I can't do this any longer!" "C'mon open! OPEN! I've got to get out of here! I've got to get out of here!" She pulls on the handle more and more but to no avail. After become more anxious she stands on one foot and tries to scratch through the door or remove the handle with her other talon. Her desperation to leave this place becomes greater and greater as the fear of being here the rest of her life overwhelms her. NO! PLEASE LET ME GO!! I HAVE TO GET OUT!
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A guard slams his baton onto the door with enough force to make a loud 'bang' resound through Sarah's cage. "There are three ways you get out of the here. Someone either pays to have you released, pays to have you under their rule, or die under the service of the King. With any luck, the first two will happen before you end up desperate for the third to happen." With that, the guard continues on their duty without so much as a second glance at Sarah.
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Olaris had eventually passed the cage, and the guards lead him up to long path to the surface world. His ears perked up some as he saw the sunlight that was called “unbearable” to some of the other slaves but he seemed to welcome it gladly when he stepped into it. He closed his eyes and raised his head up with a smile as he continued to walk “Ah! Splendid, splendid! Such a welcoming light, such a beautiful day!” he chirped happily over the rattling of his chains.
“Shut it fox!” the guard snapped as he swatted the back of the fox's head.
“As you wish..” Olaris sighed
“Beautiful day, bah it's freaking burning out here.”
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Drake heard the racket in a cage near to him. He stopped fighting his bonds for a second and listened in. Perhaps he could obtain a release from his bonds? Then he could find the human who thought that they could hold one of the dragonkind and return to his kin.
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Tiamat could hardly believe this mans words, but the king ordered his son off (along with the saddle and bridal) though leaving in the jeweled collar. with grace she walked over to her new 'buisness partner' with her amber eyes she stared at him, before starting to smell him all over, everyone tensed or readied themselves...in case she attacked, she let out a hot breath in Mavelli I hate the word 'my' her warm and cold voice spoke at Mavelli. she was taller, stronger and faster than this puny human.
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day two for Dominic.. in the area full of dragon cages, he hangs on the top doing pull ups.. some1 came in with a small boal of mashed wet mushy cold oats.. and set it in his cage... Dominic took it and tried it.. "puuu!" he spat it out.. " thers something wrong here" aww" he heats it up with his palm under the boal.. then eats saticfied a lil.. after the meal he began to frustrate on a power known to dark magic but doesnt know how to.. focusing on the rocks everywhere.. "doww DAMNIT!!!!" he yelled as fire raged from his hands half way up his arms.. then looks around till spotting a dragon in a cage near him.. "Hey! Dragon! (drake) how long have u been in here?
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"How long?" Drake snarled in sheer frustration at his situation, "how am I able to tell how many bloody days I've been in here when there isn't any LIGHT??" He let out the last word as a roar. Drake shook himself, he didn't mean to sound so arrogant, but it was this place...it was ruining any sense of calm he had.
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"I see then.. I just got captured two days ago at midnight.. whats your name dragon? and can you breath fire?
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The guard notices the handle is being tampered with and that Sarah is now in the small room outside of the cage scratching at the door. "And what the hell are you doing out of your cage!? Get back in there or I will put you in there by force!" He opens the door and swings the baton right at Sarah stomach as light flows into the dark room. "Are you gonna cooperate or do I have to teach you a lesson?" The shock from the painful blow and the light left Sarah dazed a bit, but she quickly overcame it. The panic inside of her was at its worst level now and she wasn't thinking clearly. She just wanted to leave that place. Nothing else mattered to her. She yelled at the top of her lungs "**** YOU!" as she rushed the guard and shoved him out of her way. The guard hit her once more before she managed to get out of his reach. She ran as fast as she could toward the end of the hallway. The window there was the only place she could go. Desperation to get out let her pick up enormous amounts of speed, til finally she reaches the window and launched herself out. Little did she know she was in a castle, several hundred feet in the air. She began to plummet faster and faster. As her wings opened up in an attempt to save herself, an excruciating pain comes through her. All of her old scars from the whippings began to open up. She closed her eyes from the pain and the fear of knowing if she was flying or if she was just going to die here and now.
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"Can I breathe fire?" Drake sniggered and let out a tongue of flame, "who can't breathe fire?"
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Olaris took a look back up to the sky, only to have something capture his interest. He looked at a certain window, thinking he saw something coming from it. He paused where he was before continuing on with a frown. "Feh, my sanity is now beyond question" he thought to himself. He glanced to a dragon, a man in armor for some unknown reason, both who are standing by the prince "Good day master king, and young prince~" he greeted as required by all slaves as he stopped and bowed to them.
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Balzhamest looks up at the dragon. "Who can't breathe fire? Everyone but dragons and torches." Balzhamest's hand brushed along the floor of his cage, and he felt what he was looking for; a small broken piece of metal. "Raise your hand if you want to be free." He said more to himself than anyone else. He closed his mouth and looked around; the guard has fallen asleep. He jammed the metal into the keyhole, and after a minute of wiggling it, he heard a loud snap, and the lock fell to the floor with a loud clang. The guard jumped up just as Balzhamest retreated to the back of his cage. "What was that?! Are we under attack?" He pulled his helmet on and sprinted out the door, not bothering to lock it behind him. " Balzhamest pushed his cage door open, then ran to the cage with the dragon. In what seemed like an eternity, he unlocked his cage, and it took even longer to get his bonds. As he undid the horse's cage, he asked. "What is your rteason to continue striving? Why do you believe to go on? Revenge? Love, hate, anger, sadness? Mine, I am for protection. To protect the one who needs me; the one who saw me as what I am: a person"
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The pain was unbearable, but Sarah was flying. When she finally opened her eyes, the ground was only about 10 feet away. With everything she had, she managed to pull up gain altitude. It was hard to focus with everything that was going on in her mind and with the pain in her body, but she new she had to get out of the castle walls. All of her energy and effort was put into gaining enough height to do so. When the walls were finally passed, she fell back down quickly. The ground came up and she had no idea how to land. She hit the dirt hard and rolled a few times before she finally stopped.
Sarah cried hard and long. So much emotion was going through her: The pain, the fear of whats to come, the joy of being free, and most of all the happiness of knowing that she just flew...
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Drake kicked open the unlocked cage door. No door could hold one of his clan for long, and now he had to find out two things: where he was, and the date. He had no idea where or when he was, but he was determined to return to his homeland before he got sucked into business that wasn't his own. "Thanks for springing me," he said to the other dragon who rescued him, "and now what do we do?"
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Mavelli smirked at Tiamat, almost letting out a laugh as he untied his coin purse and tossed it at the prince. "There, I just bought her freedom from you, now go get yourself a nice stallion or mare." He looked back up at Tiamat, and bowed in a gentlemanly way before standing upright again. "Will m'lady or Tia suffice?"
-
Olaris had calmly looked up thinking he saw something else. He squinted his eyes some to shield them from the sunlight as he saw a silhouette the shape of a human with wings flying over the castle walls. “...That did not just happen” he thought to himself, only to be proved wrong by the guards who were escorting him taking notice. They jerked the chain snapping his attention back to them and gave him an order to stay put before dropping it and sprinted off to investigate.
“Yes sir.” he responded as he watched them go. “...I want my rock...” he thought to himself solemnly as he found himself next to what looks like an argument between cousins.
-
"It'll be hard to disguise you... but I think that Dominic and I can hide you as a worker... if that is okay with you, Great One." Dragons were revered by the Lizard anthros, who looked up to Dragons as though they were gods. "I normally wouldn't ask this, but we'll have to strap you to one of those..." Balzhamest indicated a full mine cart that was equipped with a dragon harness.
-
The guards ran up towards the strange figure in the sky to investigate. When they got there, they found Sarah passed out on the ground. She had fainted from blood lose, dehydration, and exhaustion quickly after she landed. The guards looked over her and they found blood crusted all over her wings and scars on her back. "What do you make of this?" one of the guards asked "I don't know. She is definitely a slave, but why she is out here is beyond me." They pick her up and take her back to where they were.
When they return to the royalty, one of the guards asks the price, "Your majesty, we found this hawk anthro outside the castle walls. She may have escaped from your castle but we can't be sure. What would you have us to with her your grace?"
Sarah then began to come to. Her eyes opened slowly as she tried to figure out where she was and what was going on.
-
Drake accepted the harness reluctantly. Once he was out of here he would be treated like an animal no more. He would not try to gain revenge for his capture, he had much bigger problems to ponder.
He strapped himself into the harness and turned to his companion, "this had better work, or else we're both doomed".
-
Balzhamest nodded. What else was he to do? "Just head through that door, and we'll follow" He said, indicating the gaping hole; just big enough for Drake. They started down it, working their way down... they were nearly out when. "Sir, are you authorized to-" around the other side of Drake came a human, who seemed as surprised about Balzhamest as he was fort eh human. "RUN NOW!" Balzhamest shouted as he talked the human to the ground. Bazlhamest ran after Drake and Dominic, and heard the guard run the opposite way screaming "Prisoner escape! They have a Dragon!"
-
The king wasn't too concerned when the guards first bothered him, thinking he would only shoo them away and tell them to take her to the castle and lock her up. However, when he glanced at her he noticed what horrible shape she was in, "My god what has happened to this hawk? She looks like she has cheated death itself!" The king had seem many slaves before, even after getting beaten for misbehaving, but Sarah's condition was so gruesome that he was taken aback.
Now Sarah had finally woken up. Her eyes were wide with amazement and fear. Standing around her was a king, a prince, and a dragon. She was too emotionally drained to panic, and she knew she had to behave to get out of this situation. Running would do her no good. The king spoke, "Good she is awake. Small hawk, state your name and how you came to be in this condition" Sarah did the best she could to maintain her composure, despite the fact that she had just gone through much and she was in the hands of humans again. She spoke as officially as she could, but the fear, pain, and exhaustion were clear in her voice, "My...my name is Sarah. I escaped from a castle...I think...I took a few hits from a guard before I jumped out the window and flew away. I...I managed to get out of the castle walls but I have never flown before today. My old scars from being whipped must have opened up when I did so and I had to hit the ground and tumble a few times in order to land...What is...what is to become of me?"
-
I prefer my whole name... I still don't trust you, but I am reluctantly indebted to you, my services are yours. but then Tiamat lowered her head to his eye level there are a few guidelines you should know about dragons mortal, i don't care what my job is on this mission of yours, I am not your pet, slave or steed. I can kill you easily if I so wish but I am not a killer, but know this, your kind has betrayed us her mouth was open, showing off her sharp, pearl white teeth, danger ozzed from her, they only payment I want is food, water and clean place to stay and be able to bathe...let me have that and I wont be an issue she stood up to full height. she no longer looked threatening, you smell of female fox anthro...
-
Mavelli visibly flinched after she finished speaking. "S-she was my personal slave until I became Overseer of the mines. I paid the minimum fee for 'freedom' since I was the previous owner, and she decided I was worth her time." He cleared his throat, and regained composure. "I do not consider you a pet or steed, though you were a slave until a few minutes ago. I also understand that the chances of me defeating you are slim, but I will not go down easily. You will have your food and water, but shelter will be an issue for both of us since I do not know of any caves in the mountains."
-
Olaris just blinked from Mavelli's explanation and turned to the broken hawk. "Excuse me, I will take her off your hands, if you wish." he told the guards as he held out his arms to accept her before heading into the castle.
-
Drake ran through the fortress, not at all knowing or caring where he was going. A great rage had taken hold of him, greater even than the rage he had felt before. Wherever a human appeared he smacked it aside, clawing at his attackers. In front of him he saw a door and sunlight streamed out from under it so he made his final rush to freedom...
-
alright...come I dont want to be kept waiting..." she started to walk away
-
Mavelli went to get back on his horse, then returned to and kept pace with Tiamat. "So, how are the living conditions in my mines? The bookkeeper and his assistants keep stressing that you're being treated like regular workers, but the guards always clam up when I ask."
-
we are treated as if we are below the dirt, basically they are abusive, racist, anything you can imagine. I had three care takers in the course of ten years an all were slaughtered because they felt sympathy and gave me water when I was dying of thirst... she eyed her 'partner' good thing your 'personal slave' never got to experience that under your care... judging by her sent, she must be a sweetheart she was sounding sweetly sarcastic. Tiamat glanced at Mavelli, exhaling smoke from her mouth and nostrils, instead of breathing fire.
-
"Yes, i suppose that will do. I have no use for a broken, disobedient slave" the king stated as he waved off the fox. The guards let go of Sarah and handed her to Olaris. She stuggled a little, but finally said to the fox, "I...I think I can stand..." She got on both feet after a bit of struggling, "Who are you...what are you going to do with me?" She asked, afraid to hear the answer.
-
Olaris nodded and turned around to face the castle "I am called Olaris. And relax, I mean no harm. I was only going to bring you to the infirmary, but seeing that you are fine there's no need now." He began walking towards the door and waved his left hand in the air "Come with me if you wish. I think it would be best if you laid low after your little stunt." he would then stop and turn around to face her "Plus I will enjoy the company, I hardly get a chance to talk with the other slaves~"
-
Sarah became her normal self now that she was out of the presence of anyone important who might do her harm "Being able to stand hardly makes me fine. But I would much rather go wherever you're going than to some infirmary." She walk slowly with Olaris, although with a very apparently limp. "I never talked to the other slaves either. Well more correctly they never spoke to me. I stood out like a sore thumb and they didn't want to have any part in that. Why can't you talk to the other slaves? And how is it you can move about so freely? Sarah looked at her wings and her clothes. They were both covered in crusted blood and dirt. "If we aren't going to the infirmary could we at least go to a river or lake or something first? I need to clean these wounds."
-
"When we get out, you'll have to fly so that they can't get you!" Balzhamest said. "Meet me in a clearing far to the south of here. It's where I was told my family was captured. I'll catch up." Balzhamest took a branching path into the caves. he was searching for Marissa.
He came to a stop at an intersection, and opened his mind. He heard the echo of Marissa's thoughts from the right passage, and took it. At the end, there was a door. H opened it. He was greeted with a sight that hurt him deeply; Marissa was badly injured, her leg broken. She looked up at Balzhamest and smiled. "My mom broke my leg for playing with you. Help me, please?" She said, wincing in pain. "You area tough little one, aren't you?" He said. She giggled. Lifting her on his shoulders, he ran out of the cave.
-
Olaris continued walking into the castle "No, unfortunately we can not. The risk of me not reporting directly, is greater then most of the other slaves. There should be a fountain inside you can use. Any who... it's not like they don't speak to me. I am just kept separated from the others." He would turn his head to look over the shoulders "I never caught your name."
-
"My name is Sarah." They were inside the castle now and she saw the fountain in the distance. "Where are you taking me to in the castle? Please don't tell me you're going to return me to where I came from...I...I can't bear that place any longer!" Just thinking about going back made her panic.
-
Drake found himself in a large clearing with the shouts of pursuing humans behind him. Drake felt a swelling feeling of freedom, he stretched out his wings. He launched himself into the air in flight towards the clearing.
-
Olaris stopped and faced the girl, giving her a painfully dull look. "Two things. One I am not forcing you to go anywhere, so you may leave if you feel that's the case. And two I have no clue where you were before you were found.'" He turned back around and continued walking "No no, I am only heading to the castle to do some cleaning. I was told to clean an officers office.
-
Sarah stops as Olaris does, unsure of how to react. "I didn't really think you knew...I just...don't like the thought of it" She continued to walk with him, "I suppose I'll help you clean it. I don't have anywhere else to go, anyway..."
-
Olaris smiled "Oh? It sure didn't seem so when the guards found you~" he teased. When they finally reach the corridors of the castle, he glanced down several halways to regain his bearings before making a turn to the right. "What compelled you so, to take such a risky action if I may ask?"
-
Sarah grinned back and returned the tease, "Well I suppose it wasn't THAT bad" Her face turned serious and she put her head down as she walked, "I was turning into a mindless thrall. All the other slaves were content, maybe even happy. They had no choice in their life, and neither did I. The only difference was that I refuse to live my life by default. I'm my own person, which is why I gave the guards such a hard time when I was there. I stopped acting up recently and I realized it was because I was turning into all the other slaves. That scared the hell out of me, so I just panicked and got out of there. Nothing else seemed to matter." She lifts her head back up and looks at Olaris What about you? Have you ever thought about escaping?
-
Mavelli shook his head. "Even though she was my slave, she was always harassed when I was not around. Some tried to steal her, others tried to rape her as well. Thankfully they were all armed, otherwise I would've been hanged for murder and she would be sold off. I sometimes wish my uncle never existed, but I also know that if this never happened, I probably would never have met her or you."
-
Tiamat had a thoughtful look on her face. she then spoke you have a passionate, protective nature about you... many would claim that you are in love with your freed slave, but I guess I don't know you enough to make that assumption. they finally arrived at the overseers building. many stared, even a watcher yelled "have you gone mad!" Tiamat wisely ignored.
-
Olaris smiled removing one of his hands from behind himself and gestured around them. “Look around you. There are no guards. They trust me enough to not be watched constantly. Obviously I just may as well be one of these so called “mindless” slaves.” he continued walking down the hall thinking to himself “Yes... and I do recall their being one time I have thought of escaping. But that thought was quickly removed from myself when I began thinking. Infact if I felt like it now. I can remove my shackles with ease and leave through the various exits hidden within this castle that not most guards or slaves know about. I choose not to however. Not because I fear what they will do to me if I am captured in such an act. But because I fear the unknown. We are enslaved by humans. Humans are everywhere in this world. If you are captured by another, they may as well be worst then the previous. And the outside dangers are unknown as well.” He was able to keep his smile as he said this “So yes, I am content with my current situation. But I will not force this upon you, or even ask for you to stay.”
-
Sarah responded to his logic, "I understand what you're saying. It seems like this makes you happy. But what I was doing wasn't really like this. Everyday was the same task in the same rooms with the same guards. There was no end to it. Doing what you do seems much nicer. Would your master be willing to treat me the way he treats you? Maybe I could assist you in whatever tasks you do?" She stopped and stretched out her wings. She wanted to make sure that when her wings heal she would be able to fully extend them again and fly once more. Some of the wounds opened up and began bleeding again. She grimaced at the pain and said, "I can't promise after my wings heal and I get them stronger I won't fly away. But I would definitely like to go with you"
-
Olaris stopped when they reached a fountain and nodded to the pool of water, handing over a cloth. "I am... a special case. Fortunate enough to survive with my abilities known, unfortunate enough to be separated from the rest of the group, leaving me with a single companion that became my best friend that I created with a stone." he waited for her to take the cloth before he continued on "I am not like most slaves. You may know that slaves are forbidden from any kind of academics, however I far excel some of the scholars within this castle. Such a thing would have easily earned me a ticket to be terminated. But they saw that I had no real plans of escaping, so I am still with you today."
-
Sarah took the cloth from Olaris and set it aside for a moment. She took several swallows of water, and she could feel the liquid rejuvenating her dehydrated body. She sat down, picked up the cloth again, and started to clean the top of her wings and every where else she could get to while continuing the conversation. "So what would happen with me if I were to go with you? I'll take my chance in the wild before being stuck in a situation like before" She tries to continue to clean the rest of her wings, but she can't reach. She hands the wet cloth to Olaris and looks at him, "would you mind?"
-
Olaris calmly took the cloth from her and dipped it in the water. He allowed it to sit before pulling it out and ringing the excess fluid from it "I honestly can not answer that. More then likely you will be working within the mines." He mused as he began to clean the girls wounds. "But your not just doing one thing. If you don't mind lifting anything heavier then twenty-five kilograms and hauling it for a distance. I'd say go for it."
-
Mavelli rolled his eyes. "Really, our race kills thousands upon thousands of dragons, but the sight of one unchained dragon still inspires fear in these idiots." Mavelli got off his horse, and knocked on the door. In seconds the door opened up and Elliandra embraced her boss, still holding papers in one hand. "You fool, running off without even saying farewell." "You made it sound like I was going to war." "The Hawkes are the reason we're slaves Mavelli! You're probably the only one in your family that doesn't see us as property!" "Calm down, I can handle myself if he decided to call the guards. Anyway, I came to tell you I will be leaving on my expedition. I need you to keep an eye on the bookkeeper and the guards, if anything goes wrong, go to the safehouse. I put together some directions to the expedition so we can meet up later. You are authorized to deal with my guards as you see fit, so please don't panic if they try to do anything to you." Elliandra looked at the ground, frowning, then looked back at Mavelli and nodded. "Please don't do anything more stupid than usual" "Fine, I'll stay out of trouble if its possible" He kissed her briefly and she returned to the office, while Overseer Mavelli looks up at Tiamat.
"If you have any buisness to attend to, now would be a good time to do it."
-
Tiamat chuckled now this is new...a human and a anthro... she mused quietly to herself, by the way, is it considered rude not to introduce me to your other 'business' partner? though, a sudden instinct took over as she began to rub her body against the building. marking her scent, to let any rouge dragons know that this was 'her' territory. it was Mavelli's but rouge dragons wont listen to humans. humans watched with curiosity and fear. "sir...what is she doing?" the all moved aside quickly when Tiamat rolled on her back to scratch and itch before getting up and shaking alot of dirt of.
-
Mavelli starts to chuckle. "I believe it is also considered rude to just mark my office as your territory, but we both have our reasons." Elliandra walked out of the office again, without the papers from earlier and apparently much more calm. "He has no need to, my name is Elliandra Foxxtrot. I plan on becoming a Hawke, but you try getting a minister to make it 'official' when more than ninety percent of my race is in those mines or at the textiles."
-
good to meet you Ms. Foxxtrot stretching like a cat, and yawned I am only this polite with female slaves such as myself, so just fair warning I may be a pain in the neck to your employer, no matter that I am indebted to him she had a wicked gleam in her eye by the way Overseer, you should of marked your building with a dragon scent, have you any idea how mines are valued by rouge dragons?
-
Mavelli shrugged at her question. "We're capable of killing dragons on our own, but thank you for solving that issue temporarily." "Trust me, he would rather you give him little issues here and there rather than try to avoid him. By the time he comes back, I seriously doubt our bookkeeper will be around for more than a few hours."
-
Tiamat chuckled the girl got spunk, I like that allot. as for the bookkeepers, well, lets just say they are cowards and try to avoid a battle...even though sometimes they start the hideous flame with their wrath or jealousy
-
Mavelli's chuckle became rather loud laughter, almost doubling over before regaining composure. "I only wish they were capable of wrath, they would serve me better as guards rather than pocketing my food money since my workers are apparently being forced to be thirsty or starve. The lot of you should take that hint so I don't hear about a loss of guards due to being 'too kind'." His guardsmen avoided eye contact, with the guilty ones already walking away with overdone nonchalant-ness.
-
Tiamat cornered Mavelli, snarling savagely as acidic salavia dripped from her mouth I won't take kindly to your guards 'partner' an angry dragon is not a very safe one either she raised her head and laid down I await our mission
-
Mavelli looked at her in absolute confusion. She did know I was talking about the guards when I said 'lot', right? He scratched his head, then sighed while shaking his head. "Okay then... lets be off." He walked back to and climed onto his horse, already leaving the mines and heading for the mountains.
-
Drake waited for his companion. That other one...he was late. Drake failed to think of any reasons why he didn't just take off and leave the other to his fate.
-
Tiamat stopped infront of Mavelli get on my back, it will be quicker and more safe for your steed
-
Mavelli leaned over his horse, and seemed to be giving Tiamat the once-over. "First you mistake my last statement for being directed at you and threaten my life, now I'm allowed to get on your back like some sort of transport?"
-
just shut up and get on...I'm not used to this whole thing so give me time she knelt down
-
He smirked, then carefully guided his horse onto Tiamat before the mare sat down in the upright position. "Thank you once again for the assistance, Lady Tiamat"
-
Idiot!! get that blasted thing off of my back and you stay on! she snarled at him and you think yourself intelligent, if you were trying to be funny, I am not laughing
-
The horse got off before he even made the motion to, and he straddled her back. "I never thought of myself as intelligent, otherwise I would have nothing to do with the mines..."
-
Sarah sighed at the answer, "Honestly, I'm not really sure why I asked. I wasn't expecting an answer I was going to like. I won't be able to join you after today but I enjoy your company. Do you mind if I stay with you until you return to the mines? I can wander off just before we get there. I would much rather die in the wild as my own person than live as a slave any longer." When Olaris was done cleaning her wings she stood up "Thank you. Don't we need to get going now?"
-
Olaris smiled as he finished, flicking his hand upwards to sling the rag onto his wrist. He would then gently close her wings “Not a problem Ms. Sarah. And yes we need to continue.” He turned and moved a few paces to a nearby door and opened it up. He stepped inside and picked up two mops and two buckets, then a handful of powder.
He held both mops together and strung both buckets onto the rods. He easily kept them perfectly balanced as he returned to the fountain and dunked both buckets into the water by the mop handles. When he was ready to lift them he knelt down slightly and moved a single leg forward. He raised the handles and rested it on his shoulder before pushing himself into a stand. “Is your current master really so bad?” he asked as he gracefully moved his hand over the buckets dropping the powder into them.
-
I've never met my actual master. He owns a whole lot of slaves and pays a whole lot of guards to keep over. i don't think he cares about his slaves, only the stuff we make that he sells. But to answer your question...no, he wasn't that bad. The guards were nice enough if you didn't misbehave. A concept lost on me a little bit. I refused to take any garbage from the guards and I paid for it. I just preferred it that way." She grabbed a mop and dipped it in the water. She did her best to ring it out and began to clean the floors. "So it wouldn't bother you to do work like this for the rest of your life? With no purpose or goal?
-
Olaris grinned as he began walking down the hall once more “And tis so called free man does not experience the same fate within his life? Follow me, I have already cleaned this hallway two nights ago.” He waved her to follow as came close to a door “Now then... if you were to give it a split second of a thought. Even the humans are simply pawns of labor for their employers as we are for our masters. I have had plenty of time to think such petty things through.”
He paused and opened his jaw releasing a somewhat quiet yawn "Mm... excuse me... I haven't slept for the past four days." he apologized as he raised a hand and knocked on the door a few times before opening it "Good evening Madam Elliandra, how are you this lovely evening."
-
Sarah walks with Olaris and responds before he knocks on the door "I suppose what you say is true. But don't the humans have things to live for that we don't? Bearing children and caring for the children with a significant other for example. I know I'll never be able to have a family, but I know there are things outside work and sleep"
Sarah stood patiently and smiled at the strange woman, saying nothing.
-
Dominic sat there in the cell in meditation, feeling the cell, and its motions.. the sudden motion caught him in an understandment, he opened his eyes with a flash. then bended the cell clean open.. "HA!! I did it!!" he jumped up and ran out.. ready for a fight.. the whole tunel lead of Drakes path of dead gaurds.. so he followed. along the way he came across a dead gaurd with a sword.. Dominic took the sword and continued onward.. Dominic thought about Oralis.. then stopped and turned back for her.. along the different tunnle fighting gaurds to more gaurds..
-
Balzhamest ran into the clearing, Marissa trailing behind. He stops, panting. Looking around, he asks "Where's Dominic? I though he came out with us. I know I unlocked his cage... I hope he's okay."
-
Elliandra's fox ears popped up from the pile of papers around her, massaging her hands after doing half the paper work. "Olaris, Overseer Mavelli is not in his office, please leave so I can get my work done." She leaned one arm on the desk, her fingers reaching for the drawer containing a stiletto knife.
-
Hold on tight... she dashed at full speed before powerfully jumping in the air, send a wave of dust around them
-
Olaris left ear perked at what Sarah had said and quickly held back a snerk from his amusement. "My sincerest apologies, Madam Elliandra, but I have orders from the guards to clean this office today." He sighed raising a mop which was already in clear sight, as the bucket was held in his other hand.
-
"I don't know where the horse is", Drake snarled already annoyed with the situation. "All I know is that we need to get out of here, fast. This place won't be safe forever." Drake still suspected that something was wrong, the way the other had stared at him earlier when he had asked what the date was...perhaps it was a trifle more shocking than he thought.
-
"I think we should wait here for him, at least for a bit." Balzhamest said. Marissa walked up to Drake. "You have pretty scales." She said, giggling and reaching out to touch them. "So, since we are waiting here, anything you need to know? I figure you've been outta it for a while."
-
Mavelli hardly moved an inch, his armor actually making it easier for him to keep his balance. He only leaned forward so the wind wouldn't be blinding him by hitting his face every half second.
Elliandra kept her hand by the drawer, but looked around the room. "Make it quick..."
-
Tiamat flew over the trees, making, the glorious sun touched her wings, the membrane seemed to florish with color, Tiamat flew glorious flying in the sky. she could only imagine...tell me where to go
-
Mavelli had to yell as the wind made quite 'alot of noise while rushing past them."There should be some snow-capped mountains around here, in there is a ravine filled with more gold and diamonds than my uncle could possibly stash in his castle. Of course, only a few flecks can be seen on the surface, most of it will require moving the mines up there."
-
Olaris nodded "Yes ma'am" before motioning to Sarah to follow. He could hardly manage to hold back his laughter as he set down the bucket in the back of the room. "That statement you brought up may be true. But I have thought about that as well. Such a thing does not even fancy me. In fact you may find my taste rather peculiar. But in all honesty, it may be true that if you are free, you may have children. However... remember the world as it is. Humans dominate, if slaver's wish to slit your throat and kidnap your child. They will."
-
Drake pulled back quickly from Marissa's touch. How dare that little....hatchling...try to touch a dragonkin. All sorts of odd things were happening today...humans imprisoning dragons...dragons being treated as pets... It sickened him.
-
Marissa giggled at Drake's reaction. "You're a funny dragon!" she said innocently. Balzhamest sighed and pulled her away from Drake. "He's not used to humans. It might not be the best of ideas to touch him, okay?" Balzhamest looked over at Drake. "I remember you asking about what year it is. Judging by your lack of knowledge in the genocide, you'dv had to have been frozen for 2 centuries at least. That's 200 years, I think."
-
Elliandra spoke up just as Olaris finished speaking. "My slavery was much less violent, but different slavers have different methods. Luckily, I am now 'free' as the Overseer paid for my release. Until you showed up, I was going to put in some transfer requests, saving the weaker slaves from dying in the mines by putting them in the kitchen."
-
Sarah followed Olaris and began cleaning along with him. When Elliandra spoke she thought, Great so now I'll be cleaning pots and pans the rest of my life. If I go back with Olaris I'll be able to slip into the wild, but I have to be sure not to attract too much more attention to myself. I'll have to lie a little bit...but I don't want to stop this conversation... She finally spoke, "You may be right Olaris, there really isn't anywhere safe for an escaped slave. It would still be nice to imagine a world where I could live for something more than work. Wouldn't you like to do some sort of research or increase your knowledge further?"
-
Drake sat back in shock. Two hundred years??? But...this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen...not to him. He ran back through his memory of the past week. He was hunting...a storm in the mountains...wind...snow...then what? He realized that there was a huge blank in his memory. Could that gap actually have been two hundred years long? He felt like curling up on the ground and blocking this new and terrible world out. The old world was gone, his new life awaited him. He would spend the time he had life fighting those human captors and regaining what he lost...freedom.
-
Olaris looked up from the mop and frowned to Elliandra "I am sorry for the interruption, but I do have my orders Madame Elliadra." He looked back down to the mop and dunked it back into the water, and slopping it onto the floor quickly moving it side to side as he backed up "No... I have all I need in the library within the castle. And I have had my fill of what was out there when I was younger." he sighed shaking his head before groaning in a very aggravated tone "Huge... unprecedented...mistake."
-
Sarah began mopping as well with her bucket and mop. Olaris's change in emotion caught a lot her interest. Her eyes open wide, "What happened? Who taught you when you were younger? Why was gaining your knowledge such a mistake?" Her strokes back and forth became slower as she stared and Olaris, anticipating the answer.
-
"Hm... I am not sure how to answer that second one. I honestly don't remember who taught me. As for the other questions" he sighed as he backed into a wall and taking a step to the side and walked forward to collect his bucket and move to a different location. "Well... do you know what a Sphinx is? Either heard about them from stories or the guards... servants or anyone?"
-
"No, I've never heard of it. I didn't get too much outside knowledge where I was. What is it?" Sarah realizes shes hardly mopping any more and picks up her speed.
-
Olaris finally set the mop aside and picked the rag from his wrist and gave it a quick flick so it was pretty much open as it hung from his hand "Horrible beast... make no mistake... a good majority of them are not anthro, they can easily disguise themselves." he said as he began moving things out of the way on the nearby table and whipping the dust from it "Sphinx are interesting creatures none of the less. Their true form varies slightly. The one I encountered had the body of a lion, wings of an eagle followed by a main from the very feathers, and the head of a... human I believe. Well Sphinx are... passive aggressive so to speak. They will not allow you to pass a certain point unless you answer a riddle. And if you fail... well... you can hope for the worst." he finished.
-
"I take it by your somber tone that you lost a riddle given to you. What did the creature do to you? And how did you come to be in contact with one?" She had given up on mopping as well and leaned against a nearby wall
-
Balzhamest looked at Drake for a moment. "Are you... okay?" he asked, then sighed. "I suppose not. You have future-shock. I'm sorry for your loss of your old life. I don't understand much of what you left behind, but maybe what happened happened for a reason?" Marissa whispered in Balzhamest's ear. "He won't let you touch him, so I don't think he'll l t you do that." Balzhamest shook his head and coughed. "Anyway, we need to find somewhere else to go, we've waited here along enough. At least it's quiet and I'm not hearing any of the voices."
-
Olaris hummed to himself as he finished the desk and moved to the shelf “I... well...” he began as if looking for some better words to say then the ones he had on mind. “Well... I had the worst run in with the face of death it's self. I would rather chance fighting a dragon with half a splinter, then another run in with a Sphinx. It came in front of me as I was heading back to the castle after having to think about my actions and it spoke in such a gentle yet... Erie voice. It circled me asking questions about myself before eventually lying down in-front of me and bestowed the Sphinx's Challenge. The riddle if you will. She felt that she should make it more interesting and asked if I would be willing to take a gamble, if she wins, she has my soul, I win... well I can't quite remember. Mind you I was scared witless so I brainlessly accepted.”
His eyes glanced to each book as his hands went to work pulling books out and placing them back into alphabetical order as he spoke "During this challenge she stared at me with this empty soulless glare that made me just want to kill myself then and there then let her do it. The first riddle took me an hour of thinking, the answer was an egg. The second one was a bit tricky and I nearly lost." By this time Olaris was fiddling with his tail, his fingers danced around the fur, only stopping when his claw snagged something so perfectly well hidden within the bushy tail. He gave it a gentle tug, and pulled what appeared to be a string all the way up his tail and eventually off came a necklace with a talon like lions claw. He tossed it to Sarah and went back to work. It seemed like a normal claw, larger in comparison to one with some differences. Upon closer inspection it was oddly colored, and seemed to never have experienced the effects of time, the claw did have a few very small hard to see feathers hear and their deeply embedded into the shell as if it had grown there. “This is what she gave me... before departing. I have no idea what significance it holds other then a keepsake."
-
She kept an eye on the girl that was with Olaris while listening to his story, then shook her head as if she knew something. "Olaris, you do know that there is no cover if you try to escape the mines, or did you forget to tell your friend that the last fifty didn't even get past the gate without getting an arrow somewhere in their chest cavity?"
-
Sarah spoke to Elliandra, trying to reassure that there was no problem. "Ms. Elliandra, I had no intention of escaping. These injuries and Olaris's logic were enough to keep me from doing it again." While thinking in her head stupid ***** thinks she can threaten me. I'm not getting stuck in that hole.
Sarah caught the strange object and examined it for a bit "Why was it such a big deal Olaris? You won both the riddles and received a trophy for doing so. Did it really scare you from learning anything further?" She continued to look at the object. The peculiar feathers intrigued her.
-
Olaris thought for a moment before his head rolled back for a moment as he started giggling a bit to himself “Oh yes. I remember that very very well.” he continued giggling idly slowly growing louder as he finished the top shelf and moved down one “I recall exactly what they did. They expected to leave unscathed through the main entrance and run out the gates like a bat out of hell. Well... it didn't work to well.”
His left ear perked up some from his back catching Sarah's voice in the middle of his laughter, which quickly subsided. “Well... it's hard for me to explain. So I will simply agree with you for now, if you find me a coward so be it. And the trophy is just a bother to me. I wish to part with it but I can't.”
-
Sarah sets the necklace on the desk and walks over to where Olaris put down the rag. She picks it up and moves over to the window sill and begins to wipe it down. "I won't brand you a coward. There a things I don't understand and I won't pretend that I know what you have gone through. Although it does seem we both fear very different things." She can't help but to glance at the strange talon on the desk a few times. "Is there any reason you can't part with the necklace? I would be glad to take it off your hands, but I have a sense there is more to it then simply getting rid of it."
-
Olaris came to sudden halt, holding a book halfway on the shelf slanted down towards him. His hesitation was quite obvious before he quickly pushed the book into a vacant slot. "I am afraid I don't have a reason, however I just simply can't part with it." he said at last with a sigh heaving his shoulders as well as he relaxed again. He twisted his body and held out his open hand, signaling for the claw.
-
Sarah finished cleaning the window sill before the necklace picking up again. She put down the rag gave it one last deep look before reaching out to hand it back to Olaris. She was worried about Olaris, but didn't know how to comfort him "I...I'm sorry for anything that might have happened in the past. It seems I only know the surface of what happened...But...try not to dwell on it too much. It's over now." Sarah drops the object in Olaris hand, picks up the rag again and starts to clean the chair at the desk. She never felt like she needed to comfort someone before. Everyone she has known hated her and she hated them back. She felt a little embarrassed and cleaned the chair very vigorously, afraid to look back at his reaction.
-
Olaris nodded with a smile as the claw fell into his hand, which slowly closed into a fist to secure it “It's already behind me. This happened years ago~” he chirped as he moved around some fur on his tail and re fastened it on the appendage. He gave his tail a quick few flicks to straighten out the fur then going back to work.
“You don't need to pity me.” he assured her. He eventually knelt down onto his knees to check the bottom case before standing up and turning around to check Sarah's process. “We are just about done, Madame Elliandra, before we leave is there anything you would like for us to attend to?”
-
Dominic came rushing into the place where Oralis and sarah were, having 2 gaurds slashed down through the enterence.. a few others came at him.. and he Fire bended through his path to get Oralis.. "Oralis! we have some escaping right now.. now is a good time to get out of here! theres a clear path!"
-
Olaris turned to the door raising a brow when his named was called. He examined who it was leaving him very curious how the Unicorn had picked up his name. "Oh... well hello again, I must inform you that I am not going anywhere. How do you know my na.." he trailed off as his eyes glanced at the sword with blood dripping from the tip effectively ending his question.. His upper lip fidgeted. The fidgeting soon progressed to a slow curl as the fox began to be enraged. He snarled to the unicorn angrily pointing to him accusingly "What ever you have done... leave me out of this!"
-
"why stay in this hole? when you can be free.. you are a slave.. this is your chance to change that.. this place is not where any of us belong!"
-
Elliandra kept quiet the entire time, but Olaris could see her pulling out the knife and making her way to the unicorn. She made the motion to stab him from behind, but stopped as the shouts of guards and the thundering of leather boots filled the air. She backed up during the noise, and put the knife away. "Your window of escape just got reduced to two minutes, if you want to only have arrows flying at you, leave now."
-
Olaris was about to make a dash towards him to pull him away from a fatal stab until he saw her stop. He patiently waited for Elliandra to finish as he placed his hands on top of his head. He turned around and walked to the window in frustration thinking for a minute before turning around to the Unicorn attempting to calm himself down as he spoke grimly, hissing a bit of air out after each pause "If you don't want to die... turn around.. face the door... exit the door... make a left... and run"
-
Sarah stared at the horse's blade, blood dripping down it. She couldn't take her eyes off it. She thought about escaping with the strange horse for a moment but quickly abandoned the thought. Theres so much blood coming off of that sword...how many people has he killed?! Innocent guards who have done nothing but take orders! Sarah wanted to run from this place but...kill people for it? Destroy others lives for it? No. That wasn't her. She stood there motionless, still glaring at the blood.
-
Dominic looked around then got back up.. "I am powerful humans are weak.. I do not hate the enemy and no pity for the ones ive killed. I can handle so much.. come or stay blood isnt spilt without honor! im not the only one who wants to be free.. a Dragon made a path through.. look at us.. look at what they have done to use.. if you want freedom you have to fight for it!" Dominic turned around and ran off.
-
Sarah's eyes blinked a few times before regaining herself. She spoke, very confused "What just happened? Who was that horse? And why did he come in to 'rescue' you Olaris?"
-
Olaris silently drew his hand to his face, lying it across his snout for a breif moment. When he finally took it off he sighed and finally responded "I believe there are some slaves escaping and... that horse is actually a magical unicorn, who's horn I happened to save." he scratched his head as he heard the guards coming ever closer "I am assuming he wanted to return the favor, with my freedom."
-
Dominic following the path cleared by the dragon.. fire bending through gaurds and slashing those who got in his way, reclearing the path for the rest of the slaves.
-
Sarah look became slightly saddened. She looked at the blood that dripped on the ground, "Its a shame he killed people to get to you for nothing..." She paused a moment before speaking again "...So what do we do now?"
-
Olaris' brows quickly flattened at the comment "Please don't start... I rather stray away from the path lined in blood." he sighed. He walked to the door and glanced down the halway toward the direction the horse ran and the other way where the guards are coming from "We wait... I rather not get stabbed in a mishap"
-
Elliandra sat down on her desk, going back through the files until coming across a 'unicorn' that fit the description. "Its a pity, a family of horses was going to pay to adopt him. I'll have to tell them that we can't find his body..."
-
Olaris turned his head to face Elliandra "A family of horses... want's to adopt a fully grown unicorn... are you sure you have the right file? A black unicorn capable of bending fire?"
-
Elliandra nodded "Adoption doesn't specify age, Olaris... it just means that he would be part of another family rather than just be an orphan. They didn't care if he bended fire, he was equestrian and the family was primarily black haired. If he didn't have the horn, he would fit a similar description of one of their family members."
-
tell me where to go! Tiamat said
-
Olaris's eye brows flattened once more "Would you like me to go find him then, Madame Elliandra?" he asked turning his head back to the door as guards ran by "Or are you just going to say oh well, and try to find a way to apologize to the family for the misconception of an additional family member?"
-
"If it were possible, yes I would... but since he has already killed two guards, keeping him alive will cause more problems than solve. If he escaped, I will tell them his body is not among those that tried to escape. If he dies, I will let them give him a free man's burial." She went back to her paperwork, though much less energetic in her procedure.
-
Olaris nodded before finally turning to the door way heading out "We will leave you in peace then." A few steps out the door, his paw landed in a thick puddle of blood, his momentum causing his lower body to slide forward, and the rest of him to the ground into the puddle in a comical manner. He grumbled to himself, shaking his head looking down both ends of the halway. "... he's killed more then two..." he commented, taking note of the scent of burnt flesh. From his back he rolled back onto his feet and stood up straight looking himself over. He wrinkled his nose as he flicked his arms some after finding blood on his back and arms. "Oh yay me... it's going to take ages to remove these stains." he sighed, now casually walking down the hallway a mix of bright white and dark crimson.
-
She tried to continue her work, but she started crying in the middle of it and had to put the files up before she got them soggy. Please come back soon, I just don't know if I can last the week without you.
Mavelli groaned "Tiamat, there is a mountain range to your right, go there!"
-
Drake sat back. Nothing to be done about his situation now. But now where was he to go?
-
Tiamat flapped her wings till she saw a clearing near the destination, she slowly descended down until she landed with an ungraceful 'thud'. first time flying
-
"I would have been surprised if you landed gracefully, to be honest."" He got off her back, and walked a short distance away before pointing off the edge of a cliff. "If we follow this ravine, we will reach the new excavation site. When I move the mines here, it will be a tough time trying to adjust to the climate and possible dragon raids. However, the payout will be much better when we start digging up gold by the barrel..."
-
Sarah followed Olaris out the room. Her eyes were opened wide at all the bodies they past. It was hard for to keep up with the fox, as she was distracted by the burnt, cut open corpses. She took a hard swallow before finally speaking, "Where...Where are we going? What am I to do? I don't know where to report or how to get around these mines." There was a nervous fear in her voice as she stepped over one of the bodies. Not only was the amount of blood spilled disheartening, but she also was afraid of what she would be doing in these caves.
-
"I am going to the river to get this blood off my fur." He sighed, disgusted by the smell of the slowly drying clumps of blood on him. "Before it leaves a more then unsatisfactory smell on me." He turned to Sarah with a raised brow after noticing her tone a bit to late. "I assume you have never seen a corpse?"
-
"All I've ever done is help make clothes...the closest I've come to see a corpse was the skin of an animal before I cleaned it and turned it into leather. A butcher got to the dead animal before I did so I never had to skin anything." She lifted her head off the bodies and looked up at Olaris "You seem so casual. How often do you see bodies like this?" She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. The idea of seeing death on a regular basis wasn't exactly the nicest of thoughts.
-
Olaris continued walking, carefully stepping over each corpse he had approached. His tail continued twitching, flicking off globs of blood from his little slip up “When you get to know me more. You will find I am casual about most things. However I don't see corpse enough to give me an excuse to ignore them, I simply stopped caring a while ago.”
He would glance briefly over his shoulder to study her facial expression. “Ms. Sarah, if it bothers you so, I recommend keeping your eyes off the ground.”
-
Tiamat sniffed the area, as a miner her nose gained the ability to smell out the minerals, she turned her head I can smell it...though...I am afraid there is something ...alive in this mountian... she backed away, her head low, growling angrily.her wings out, poised to fight or fly away.
-
"Right. I suppose that makes sense." She kept her head off the bodies and continued looking in front of her and at Olaris. She was starting to calm down now. Despite being in in the same place for the last 15 years of her life, she could deal with new challenges or experiences pretty well. She took a deep breath, and her stress level lowered back to where it was before the horse had barged in.
-
Olaris stopped when they reached the door that leads outside and held his arm up to stop Sarah as he shuffled to the side. He rose a single brow as the door flew open revealing the blinding light of the sun followed by guards storming inside and down the hallways. "Right... I almost forgot how slow some of them are..." he commented before stepping outside, wincing slightly as his eyes adjusted. "Now then... mark this escape stratergy down in a mental note. The draw back of assaulting any guard and killing him in plain view is that there is no going back."
-
"Maybe we can avoid it, unless you think we stand a fighting chance..." Mavelli kept his hand on his sword as Tiamat growled.
-
Sarah chuckled at Olaris's comment, "I would think that would pretty obvious. But I'll be sure to keep that in mind so I won't forget, haha" She walked into the light, nearly unphased by the change in illumination. One of the benefits of being a hawk is that she could adjust to light change quickly and her vision is far better than any dragon, human, or different species of anthro. One of the flaws is that her sense of smell and hearing are beyond awful.
She stopped for a few seconds and tensed up. "Hold on for one moment." She stretched her wings as far as she could, a few of the wounds opening up again. You could see the sting from the pain in her face as she tightened it. She regained herself before standing straight up and she starts moving again. "Ok thats all I needed. Let's go"
-
Olaris watched her expression change briefly "Looks like we need to clean your wings again" he commented as he looked to the ground seeing a drip of fresh blood. He turned back around heading to the river within the castle gates. When they arrived he knelt down by the bank and stared into the water, looking at his own reflection "I have been thinking..." he started as he ran his hand through the water distorting his image and pulled his hand back out watching the water run from his fur, "if you really want your freedom, I will help you to an extent."
-
Sarah quickly turned her head and opened her eyes wide. She grabbed him with one hand and said, "Anything you can do to help, I would much appreciate it!" She paused for a moment, and looked back at the where they came from. "I know it's not what you're planning, but if we could refrain from killing anyone...I don't want more bloodshed then there already has been."
-
Olaris took his eyes away from his eyes and once again looked into the pool of water contemplatively. "Yes... but of course." he sighed rubbing his chin. He took a moment to glance behind himself. "Keep in mind, this may not mean that once you get on the other side, I might not be joining you for my own reasons." Without waiting for another word, he adjusted himself and dove into the water, breaking the surface with a barely audible splash. The water quickly became clouded with the blood that had been washed away from his fur as he swam around for a few seconds and broke through the surface once again taking a breath.
-
Sarah watched as Olaris jumped in before she got a chance to respond. The jump gave her an idea. She paused a moment before she began to quickly run alongside the river. She jumped as hard as she could with her wings still spread out from stretching them. If it wasn't for the small hill she jumped off, she wouldn't have made it in the air. She picked up altitude and flew around for a moment, simply because she could. She had a strong and willful smile about her, despite the pain and the blood dripping from her wings into the river below. Finally she dove full speed into the river near Olaris. The blood left a sweeping streak in the river before dissolving in the flowing water. She popped her head out of the water and looked at him with a face full of so much ecstasy simply from flying. "It's too bad my wings aren't strong enough yet for me to fly out of here right now. I know you don't want to join me. I know you like your life simply and safe, just the way it is. I wish I could be as content as you in captivity. But please...tell me what you're planning."
-
I warn you not to dig too deep my friend, I do not want to awaken the monster that lies dormant under the mountian...I sense that he is...bigger and stronger.
-
"No... don't fly." he said curtly as he was still in thought "If you fly, I hope you are a good acrobat. you're nothing but an easy target for a skilled marksmen. Even a dragon can quickly be slaughtered in the sky." Olaris remained silent for some time allowing the current to pull him away "I think it would be best, if I don't say anything about what I have in mind for the moment." it was clear by his grimace that he had been trying to find a better alternate.
-
Sarah's face began to slowly fall, drifting from extreme happiness down to seriousness. She spoke confidently and with assurance to Olaris, "Whatever it is your thinking I can pull it off. And If I can't I will say so. Let me be the one to decide whether it's worth the risk or not. Unless telling me puts you in harms way, please let me know what's going on in your head." Sarah was already confident in herself, but escaping the castle once and flying only boosted her ego.
-
"Ms. Sarah. Please know I do trust you, but currently it does put us both in terrible danger." he said as he leaned back into the water, floating on his back. "Just relax, I will tell you at a better time."
-
Mavelli cursed under his breath. "If that mountain is near the ravine, war may be unavoidable..."
-
Sarah looked away and spoke quietly "If you think it's best" She then submerged herself in the water once again. She swam towards the bank, got out, sat down on the hill and waited for Olaris to finish. She didn't like Olaris's decision not to tell her, but she knew she had no choice but to accept it.
-
Olaris soon readjusted his body to point towards the bank, and began to slowly pull himself back and out of the water. His fur was now matted down, showing how small the fox actually was as most of his volume was actually created by his fur. "Please don't take this personally, I just think there is a better option then what I have in mind" he commented
-
By this time, the guards had lined up by the walls and watch towers, ready to shoot down anyone trying to leave the mines. A few slaves tried to make a run for it, and their arrow decorated hides litter the front of the opening, as if they were dead the second they passed the wall itself.
-
Sarah looked at Olaris and spoke "I know you're just trying to do what's best. Thank you for even thinking about it. I know you certainly don't have to." She stopped and looked up at the sky. The sun was almost to the horizon. It had turn the evening sky a beautiful crimson. "I suppose its time for you to take me wherever it is I'll be sleeping..."
-
Tiamat growled I guess we may have no choice but its the spirit of this mountian and it will not like intruders
-
Olaris tapped his chin and shrugged "I suppose you can join me in the mines." he said as he turned and headed to the mouth of the caverns "If you don't mine sharing a cage that is."
-
She stares at him with a very dull look, "Do I have a choice? ...Let's go. She got up and starting walking back towards the mines.
-
Dominic walked alone through out the Journy to home.. he thought< "Murderer, Nag, Evil Magic runs through me.. its what makes me uncontrolable, even for myself. I tried to only do the good thing, to save those poor slaves.. but even I cant proswade them about what freedom is.. they lost there ways, there instinct, there corrage. I have failed them"> Dominic stopped as a bright light appeared in front of him, he blocked his eyes till the light dimmed into a figure. Dominic managed looking but it was a bler as it walked to him. it was white and had wings like an angel. Dominic's vision became normal. "Eveline!!" Dominic shouted in joy. As he was right to who it was, it apeared to be a pegicorn Anthro, shining with beauty. Dominic dropped to his knees, "how? I thought you..." Shhh, she stopped him putting her finger on his lips. She spoke in a soft voice saying, "you try so hard to do the right thing, and its what makes you what you are, your not full of Darkness, light carries you where ever you go." But how will I use it within my ability to be a part of it?" Dominic said staring at her. " you have rose out of Dark before and joined us at the most difficult times, You fell inlove" Eveline kissed him, " you can rise again" she whispered and disapeared. DOminic got up with more confidence, and continued his walk.
-
Mavelli kicked a rock. "I'm not talking about the stupid mountain spirit, I was going to free all of those mine workers with that money, and now some arcane force apparently won't let me dig enough gold and diamonds to keep my uncle too fat and happy to be concerned with 'free slaves'. What good is all my damn wealth if I can't even free my workers?!"
-
life never goes as planned human, respect that, the mountian spirit was placed in here for a reason that maybe should of been left alone
-
"Thats most of my life, didn't expect to be sleeping with Elliandra, or that I would free a dragon from being made into some prissy-boy's pet steed. Didn't expect to have her family working in my mines, and now I didn't expect that this would happen. The only thing I did expect was that if I can't buy someone's freedom, I have to kill the one who originally enslaved them."
-
As much I would love to kill your uncle, killing him would not really solve the problem since all his people are so addicted to the slave labor and they don't have to do anything... Tiamat laid down and stared at her angry companion. your uncle is greedy, he may not let you buy them to freedom... she scratched her ebony colored talons into the soil. the dirt under it glimmered with tiny minerals... you will only anger Earth even more...she is alive you know, you humans have forgotten but we dragons will never forget our earth mother...
-
Mavelli shook his head. "Its not like he is getting anything valuable from us now. All I could get in the last ten years is iron and coal. If it wasn't for the fact that the mines are on his land, I would never have given him any of my material for free. The vein would have gotten him what he needed in terms of riches." He looked up at Tiamat, holding back his frustration and rage. "It is because your kind still believes that things would turn out right eventually. Tell that to the wives, of husbands I had to execute because they tried to share their food. Tell that to orphans left behind because the arrows were not kind enough to end them before they learned their parents died before they could reach freedom. Tell that to the graves of your kin, shot down in the prime of their age by mercenary bows! Earth mother or not, nothing is going to change without blood being shed!" His voice turned hoarse from all the yelling, and he looked down as frustration gave way to depression. "All I ask of you know, is that you take me back to the mines so I can inform her of what is coming..."
-
Tiamat used her tail to swipe the feet from under mavelli and pinned him to the ground, in his face she raged in a deadly tone you striving for freedom is only hiding the guilt you feel for the death of those brave slaves who made sacrifices for their community, it was your people who ripped our cultures, our loved ones lives away!you executed all three of my loving caretakers, those orphans you speak of, I am one of them, before the humans slaughtered my loving mother because she tried to save me from this life, but in the end, I am chained, whipped, muzzled and starved while you were pampered, educated and taught that we are lower than dirt...oh how caring of you to try buying the freedom when there was none in the first place, its time you learned the real history!" instead of throwing him on his back, she picked him up the the shoulders and flew back to the mines. dropping him three feet from the ground, Tiamat landed next to him.
-
Olaris's eyes glanced over the slave's corpses who were decorated in arrows. He examined them closely as he stepped over them and headed down deeper into the mines "I hope your not cluster fobic, and don't mind sharp rocks Ms. Sarah". He said as he went down the usual torch lit paths. When he neared his cage, he checked in all directions for any guards, finding none, and assuming most have ran off to control the situation and are still on the surface. "Now quickly, come and let me give you a lift."
The fox crouched down and sprang upwards. His hands quickly grabbed the top edge of the cage and pulled his body up with a grunt, and kicking a leg up on top to pull the rest of his body up. After a brief moment to adjust himself, getting on both knees and a single hand, he lowered the other hand down for Sarah to help her up. "Quickly, before they come in."
-
"Yes, I was pampered for most of my life, even though I got beaten by my 'peers' for asking Elliandra how she felt. I did not bear a lash and muzzle, I had to keep quiet as men who disgrace the word noble sexually assault every female slave whenever their owner was absent. I thought if I could inherit the mines, I could get the 'right' to pay their 'worth' so they wouldn't have to wake every morning to being in a hole they might never have left otherwise. You can leave now, if you wish, I will go back to my office, tell my mate what happened, and hopefully make some form of plan so that those that have sacrificed, would no longer be in vain. Good day, Lady Tiamat." He started walking off to the mines, unusually calm for someone who just got yelled at by a dragon.
-
Sarah followed the fox down the caverns. The caves were considerably brighter and larger than her cage in the castle. She watched the fox climb up the cage. She tried to keep herself from laughing, because she could get up in a quarter of the time."If I was claustrophobic, I would have gone mad by now. I can promise the cage I was in was less than half the size of yours. And you should know I don't need help getting somewhere that's up" Sarah uses her powerful hawk legs and a single flap of her wings to get up to where the fox was, ignoring his aid. She almost had enough lift to get legs over, but she had to catch the cage with her arms, and finish climbing up.
-
Olaris smiled "I am jealous" he said as he pulled his own hand back. The top portion of his cage seemed to have been sloped downwards towards the back where the upper portion of the bars were bent. He crawled down the slope and turned around so his back was close to the edge. He planted his hands down on the roof and tossed his legs back, coming back and swinging through the gap by his hands. His hands eventually gave away and he flew into the middle of the cage.
He picked up his "friend and moved to the corner of the cage to give room for Sarah "Hello my good friend, we have a guest with us today." he spoke to the rock, not caring how insane he seemed.
-
Sarah landed softly in the center of the cage. She stared at Olaris, eyes wide open and unsure of what to think. Did he just...talk to that rock? What do I do? Does he want me to act like it's part of the conversation? He seemed so smart...so why is he talking to a rock? Sarah just stood there, confused and unsure. She wanted to say something but the only thing that came out was a repeated "oh...um...uh..."
-
Olaris gently set the rock down, patting the top "I know it's just a rock, and I know how insane I look; but the guards normally keep me seperated from the rest of the slaves. So it gets a bit lonely and thats no good. I have seen it drive other slaves insane, some even forget how to speak." he looked over to Sarah after straightening up "So I simply created a companion, and its like a person to me. Almost. Feel free to take the bed, I grew quite accustom to the ground with my ridiculous sleeping habits.
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Sarah sat on the bed. She would have offered to take the floor, but she didn't want to ruin her wings anymore. "Thank you for the bed, and I suppose that makes sense." Meanwhile she was thinking in her head No it doesn't...I never talked with the other slaves...but I didn't talk to my bed or anything like that...I...I guess won't think too much on it. "Anyway, lets go to sleep. Today has gotten me quite exhausted.
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/me stretched with a yawn "I suppose your right..." , then almost immediately he collapsed to the ground as his exhaustion had finally crept up onto him. From the ground he slept quietly, only stiring to move his body in a more comfortable position.
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Sarah fell asleep quite quickly, without much hassle.
She woke up in the middle of the night once again. The nightmare was much worse than usual. Her nightmares always got worse when she wasn't in her pitch black room and her usual bed. She sat up on the bed and instead of pacing around like she usually does, she just watched Olaris sleep. The light from the single continuously lit lamp flickered and flowed onto Olaris's body. She didn't want to move too much so she wouldn't wake the fennec fox. Making even the slightest noise will probly wake him up with those ears... The body of her new companion dreaming in flame light calmed her down much more than anything else could. His legs kicked calmly as he dreamed...His chest lifted up and down as he breathed slowly...Before she new it, Sarah was fast and deeply asleep.
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Dominic knew he was close to his village, he saw smoke right behind the hill he climbed. He thought<" Im shure the village will be surprized I made it out, I miss the place, all the green, sweet apples and grass, the hot tea always there in the morning and night, the festibles they held during specail nights."> Dominic reached the top, but when he saw the village, he was in shock. " The feilds, the homes, the horses of many kind, gone!" The Village was burnt to the ground. Dominic walked down to it. when reaching near the end he saw a pile of burned corpese's.. before taking a good look at them, he thought only his kind would have been in the pile.. but before he did anything he made shure, so he walked towards them. When they apeared clearly, he was in shock but relief it was not the horse kind. They were humans.
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Mavelli walked into the camp, only to be met with several squads of dead guards just propped along the wall. Worried for Elliandra, he passed by the bookkeeper and burst through his office door. "Ellie, what happened? Why do I have dead guards within a day of my leave?" Once again she stopped her work, but she didn't seem at all angry or annoyed as she embraced her 'boss'. "One of the new slaves apparently had combat skills, and decided to make a run for it while a dragon reportedly killed ten of his handlers. So how was the mountain expedition?" "I really don't want to ruin the moment, but I couldn't find a way to get at the minerals without causing complications. Now that I think about it, the idea itself was mad. This wasn't out of a need for a work-force, its just a slow suffocation of all non-humans." They both sat down at a small dining table in the office, Elliandra looking down at the ground.
"So... what should we do now?" "I need to spend some time with Lady Tiamat, learn what she has to offer, then make a final decision on how to 'free' your family and the rest of my 'workers'." He put a hand on her knee, and tried to look her in the eye. "Please hold on just a little longer, I will make it up when I come back, I promise." He then kissed her on the cheek before getting up and leaving the office, making his way back to Tiamat.