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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 1:20:22 GMT
Omaron's shoulders shook. "I don't know all right? I d-don't know, and stop d-doing that!"
Emkai got to his feet and threw back his hood irritably. For an instant his face showed, black and cracked and rough as charred wood. And then it ignited. Yellow-orange flame burst up from the neck of his robes to engulf his head.
Omaron almost fell over, his guilt and self pity forgotten. "Wh-what...?"
"Both of you shut up," Emkai growled. "You're going to get the guards in here again."
"Quiet Emkai." The woman knelt in her own cell, which was across from Rook's. She seemed to be looking intently at him. "Calm down. We are going to do what we can. Do you understand?"
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 3:54:34 GMT
Gale shot up, staring at Emkai with wide eyes. Now THAT was a monster! Charred black skin, as if the flames that killed him still ate at him. The boy could even feel the heat. What sort of spell was that? Gale's gaze was intense, and he wanted answers. Such a thing to see. He was amazed. And he wanted to say something about it.
Rook whimpered, its breath coming out in ragged huffs. It looked at the woman, looked at the floor, whimpered, and situated itself on the ground. It fidgeted and huffed and whined quietly, looking around. But it ended up nodding, even though it looked as troubled as it did before.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 3:59:33 GMT
Emkai met Gale's gaze disapprovingly. "It's impolite to stare at people." Then he flipped his hood back over his head. The flap of cloth in the front came back over his face.
"Y-you're firemen!" Omaron looked wildly from Emkai to his counterpart, his brain slowly piecing things together. "You're both... you don't... wait. Wait, have you heard of Veliath?" If they were from his world...
"Yes, you're south-west of us," the woman said indifferently. She was still watching Rook. "All right. What is your name?"
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 4:04:37 GMT
Gale just opened his eyes wider, and fixated them on Emkai. Who're you? His voice sounded out, reverberating through their heads. It was a quick lowreing of his defenses, sending the message, and then snapping his head shut again. It would be quick in giving him a headache, but he wanted answers. They knew Veliath. They were near it, and Omaron's reaction was strange. Were they from the same place? Did. Did that mean Omaron really wasn't Kiltar? It was interesting. Maybe Omaron was just stupid.
Rook fidgeted, standing again, walking in a circle, and the sitting on its butt. "Rook," it said, recognizing the words 'what' and 'name.' "Rook, Rook." It pressed its head against the wall, whining, as if that would help him get through. "Gale. Gaaaaaale, Gale."
Gale whistled, and Rook whistled back, melancholy and lonely.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 4:16:04 GMT
Emkai glanced at his companion, then at Omaron. "Veliath? I thought you were a Kiltar."
"A resemblance that I was making use of until we got ourselves captured," Omaron replied. He was feeling less shaky. "But I didn't think that firemen-- ack!"
Emkai jumped and reached to his belt where his sword would be. Roki straightened in an instant, fists clenched. But Omaron turned to Gale, brows up near his hairline. He'd said something to them. Did that mean he didn't think he was Kiltar anymore?
"What was that?" Emkai asked sharply. "Answer me NOW."
"Calm down," his compatriot said again. She looked from the little creature that called itself Rook to the child with one wing. "We are firemen. I am Roki, and this is Emkai." She looked back to Rook and pointed to herself and then her friend. "Roki. And Emkai."
Omaron got closer to the barrier in front of his cell, looking pleadingly to Gale. "I swear I didn't mean to get us into this mess. I don't know how I can prove that to you, but it's the truth."
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 4:21:22 GMT
Gale stepped back when the responded with volatility. He growled, and glanced around. No Kiltar. Hah. Maybe he surprised them. He ignored Emkai and Omaron - pointedly turning his face away from the later - in favour of listening to the one that called itself Roki. Firemen? That was self evident. So they were fire monsters.
Rook listened rapt, tense from their reaction. "Rr... Roki," it repeated nodding. Their names were similar, it thought. That was rather encouraging. "Em. Em. Emkai." It nodded, muttering and chittering to itself. They seemed nice. Rough and angry, like Gale. But that didn't mean Gale wasn't nice. It would like them. Yes, it would.
Can prove later, Gale said, mouth turned into an angry frown. Fire monsters. How much fight? What arena like? Tell. Want out. Need know.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 4:29:50 GMT
Omaron drew back again, looking worried and a little sick, but at least the firemen were distracting, and the fact that they actually existed.
"Yes, Roki and Emkai," Roki told Rook. She sounded pleased. Then she turned toward Gale even as Emkai winced at the mental words being thrown at him.
"We are not monsters," she said sternly. "The arena is not fun, but Emkai and I have fought for three days without getting badly hurt. We are finding a way to escape."
"Monsters, really," Emkai growled quietly.
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 4:34:13 GMT
Gale scoffed. They were just as stupid as Omaron was! Kiltar and monster, Gale spat, looking surly. Not Kiltar. Monsters, then. He began pacing, mind whirring. Three days? Not too bad. But man, did Gale hate being talked too as if he was as stupid and weak as they were.
Know arena not fun, he replied, mind still reeling. Defenses. Guards. People. Exits. Never fought this one before. Want out need know. He turned towards Roki, trying to see under her hood. But it was impossible. Not staying more then day. His gaze flickered over to Omaron, and there was hard anger in is. Pulchra come. The name was said with a rolling wave of hatred and fear accompanying it, so much so that Rook cowered and whimpered. Leave now, or leave never.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 4:45:22 GMT
Roki and Emkai exchanged a swift glance. It didn't accomplish much as their faces were covered.
"Monsters then," Roki echoed. She thought for a moment. "There are two entrances into the bottom part of the arena-- one for us, and one for beasts to be let out through. There are guards posted behind both, and quite a few in the stands. However, there are at least four entrances into the stands from the outside. If we were able to get someone up that way, they might be able to come down here and let everyone else out before they put the entire arena on lockdown. The crowd would be scared; the escaped prisoner might be able to get quite far before the guards could get through the crowd. The other option is to use the beast gate, mostly because I don't think the guards will expect someone to try to go into the stalls with the animals."
Omaron felt dread welling up in his stomach when Gale mentioned Pulchra. What had he unknowingly drawn down onto their heads?
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 4:55:23 GMT
Gale sat down at the corner of the cell, listening raptly. He nodded as Roki spoke, trying to picture it in his mind. This? He asked, sending a picture to everyone. The bowl shape, the entrances, exits, and little dots that, when looked closely enough, resembled guards.
Gale scratched his head, thinking. Did he honestly need these monsters besides their knowledge now? No. But Pulchra was a fate he was hesitant to leave anyone to. Even stupid butt Omaron. And more monsters... It was appealing to think that he and Rook weren't the ONLY disgusting, demonic, and ill-liked things in the world.
Beast gate, Gale said. Usually just keepers. Rarely guards. A beast more than a boy, he had been kept there multiple times when it was Kiltar unfavorables he was fighting instead of other animals. He sent another picture to the others, this one illuminating a hall connecting two sides of the arena.
Beast cells usually connect to prisoner cells, he told them. So best. If he could just-
The guards came, door slamming against the wall. The three were not the scouts, and wore dark purple chainmail with a plain insignia on it. They stopped by Omaron's cell, and, with a quick mumbling, the barrier fell.
"Get up," one barked, his spear held tightly in one hand. his tone bore no room for argument.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 5:02:15 GMT
Roki made a slight noise of surprise at the diagram of the arena. That was a useful ability.
"Yes, like that. And the beast gate... I think we can work with that."
She would have said more, but the door slammed open. She and Emkai stiffened slightly as their hooded heads followed the Kiltar's progress.
Omaron's face turned dead white when they stopped in front of his cell. A word lowered the barrier, and he was in absolutely no doubt as to what was about to happen.
"Can't... can't we talk about this?" he asked hesitantly as he got to his feet. He kept his hands where they could see him; no point in giving anyone a reason to kill him just yet.
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 5:05:11 GMT
The guard shook his head, and marched in, grabbing Omaron's upper arm. Without a word, he began dragging the poor man out.
Gale's barriers had shot up, and he turned away from the guards, facing the back wall. If only they had chosen him first. He knew he could have killed them when they didn't surprise him. But now Omaron was going to die. Oh well.
Rook, however, watched on in abject horror. "Omaron?" It called out, glancing around. "Omaron. Omaron no. Omaron." No, he couldn't go! Going was bad! Bad bad bad. But he was. And Rook whined loudly in protest.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 5:10:46 GMT
Omaron kept up with the guard's stride as best as he could, though he wanted to drag his feet and grab at the wall. He was shaking like a leaf.
Roki and Emkai followed his progress out from the cell and back toward the door, stoic hooded figures that offered little in the way of comfort. But Roki did nod to him, as though to offer her support. Not that it did him much good.
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Post by Unokins on May 24, 2015 5:17:50 GMT
The guard was not gentle with Omaron. When Omaron slowed, he was tugged forward roughly. If he tripped, he was dragged unceremoniously back to his feet. Up the stairs, around a corridor. The roaring of the crowd grew louder and louder with each step. Soon they arrived to the gate, and Omaron was led through to a basic dirt arena. Weapons lined the walls, and high above crowds of people cheered with a bloodlust.
Gale rolled back to face the entrance, his face passive. He dead. Was the simple observation. Rook's answer was a sad, quiet wailing noise, ending in whimpering.
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Post by Buggy on May 24, 2015 5:32:26 GMT
Omaron could feel his heart beating in his throat. Every misstep had the guard tugging him still more inexorably toward that distant murmur of the crowd, like the sea except the sound of the sea had never made him want to vomit. All too soon the murmur had swelled to a roar, and he was pulled out through the gate into the arena. The frenzied crowd surrounded him on all sides. As the guard walked back to the gate, he had an almost overwhelming desire to run back after him like a rabbit to its hole.
But he didn't. He stared at the opposite wall of the enclosure where a metal gate stood. Omaron was vaguely aware of the weaponry hanging on the walls around him.
This is it. This is going to happen now and there's nothing I can do to prevent it. His brow furrowed, and an unforseen wave of self-disgust hit him. And it's my own damn fault anyways, so I shouldn't have the priviledge of cowering like I want to. Flame help me.
He began to edge closer to the wall, keeping an eye out for knives. He could handle knives, to some degree. Kind of. ***
Emkai sat down against the wall and said nothing at the proclamation. It seemed all too likely, though it didn't sit right in his stomach. Letting someone else go to certain doom while he did nothing, even if there was literally nothing he could do to help the situation, was against his nature.
Roki turned to watch Gale again, her head tilted just slightly to one side. Then she lowered her hood.
White flames licked up her black countenance, and eyes like burning embers fixed themselves on the boy's face. Her expression seemed puzzled, and perhaps concerned.
"How did you three end up here, Gale? And when were you here before?"
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