"OOF!" a sound was emmitted from nowhere as Rein hit the ground 'Damb, that hurt' he thought, rubbing his head 'gotta work on better landings' he thought, standing up and brushing himself off. He was about 5'1" tall, and, because of the fall, was in dirty clothing
"250 Silver! 300 Silver! 350 Silver! Can i get a higher bid?! 500 GOLD!!! Any higher?! SOLD, to the man with 500 Gold!"'It's over. I'm going to be a slave of a very rich man. What ever will i do now? Rich men always have high security not to mention...less ways to escape...NO!!'She cried silent tears as she was led away from the large crowd. Her chains were exchanged from the previous owner to the body guard of the new owner. She sniffed and held her head down, so full of sorrow was she that she didn't care who saw her shame and depression. She kept pace with the men but all the while she was barely there.
She was brought to a stagecoach that was of the latest new fashion. Her chains were removed and a rope was tied around her wrists. The other end of the rope was tied to the back of the coach. She could tell right away of what she was to do next, run. She had tears coming from her eyes even more knowing how much she will be tripped, dragged, tugged, pulled, scratched, bumped, and everything else that happens to someone attached to the back of a vechicle. Then a voice yelled.
"What do you think you're doing?! She can't run that far! She'll be dragged the whole way! look at the state she's in! She won't be able to endure it all. Get her in here right now!"She sniffed and dried her tears as her binds were released. Kelley was shoved to the door of the coach. "Get in here child. I'll need your feet to be healthy and clean if i have you doing what you will be assigned to doing."She climbed in and said a silent thank you to her new-supposed master."Thank you, again master."The guy chuckled."Me?! your master?! you must be joking! I'm not your master. i'm just the retriever. My job is to do earins for the boss. Now shut up and keep your feet away from my new shoes."She nodded and sniffed again, though, softly.
Rein looked around, and saw people behind him, who weren't hesitant to laugh at his landing...Rein looked at them strangely, and they threw nets over him. He quickly pulled out his sword, and cut them, and he began to run the way that they weren't. But soon, he felt something sharp in the back of his neck, and he was fainted as his body went limp...he was shot with a tranquiliser. A couple hours later, he was dragged into the wretched place, still unconcious. Soon enough, he was stuffed in a cage, and shackled...and eventually, would be auctioned once he was looked at.
Someone went by Rein's cage, and he was looked at..."What is your name, boy?" said a voice, but Rein remained silent, and didn't look up, instead he looked at the shackles, well, after his vision became clear once more.
"I said WHAT IS YOUR NAME BOY" said the man, now yelling at him, Rein now looked up, but still didn't reply...
Rein then tried to speak, but no sound came from his mouth, he ended up mouthing his name "..." but his lips said Rein, probably unreadable... "Oh, I get it...your mute" said the man, now looking him over
Rein found dirt in the ground, and spread it so that he could spell something. 'Why is it your business?' he both thought and spelled. He looked up for the reply.
"It is my buisiness because I believe YOU are the one in the cage, now your name, please" said the man. "Or do I have to teach you how..." The man took out a whip, and beat it softly against his hand as a threat.
Rein glared at the man, and rearranged the dirt once more, he spelled out his name
"Rein, eh? well Rein, seems your up next for the auction..."
Rein spelled in the dirt now 'Shut up and get away from me, I'll do what I want right now...'
A small child moved in the cage next to Rein's. She was pale and almost sickly looking, and very obviously underfed. No shackles were on her hands, she was too weak to escape in any way. "Pssst." Lliana looked at the boy in the cage, glancing at the man with the whip.
Rein heard a wisper behind him, and turned his head, the man seemed to get bored with him, and had left 'What is it?' asked Rein telepathically 'Is something wrong?'
Lliana shook her head as answer to the question. She didnt seem suprised that the boy had spoken to her through her mind at all. "You can read and write, yes? Will you teach me?" She moved to the bars nearest Rein's cage as she spoke in a low whisper.
Kelley kept her gaze focussed outside the coach through the whole trip. She didn't bother try looking at her traveling companion, though he may be of higher rank than her, she could still tell he was not her concern.
The coach was drawn to a stop. Kelley tried to scrunch herself into her seat, as to avoid being seen from outside, but to no avail for her companion laughed at her and had her taken out. She was pushed and shoved (sp?) all the way to the servants' entrance. A cook glared at her with distaste and no sympathy. Some of the other girls and boys that were there partially knew what she was going through but they didn't say anything, they just let their eyes do the talking. She was directed to a small bath where she was made to bathe.
The water was cold and dirty, she was so depressed that she couldn't even remember getting into the tub. She soaked there for a few moments scrubbing her body and sobbing, but all the while keeping note on how many people were outside the closed shade.
'I can...not read and write modern texts, only ancient characters and figures...though it doesn't seem that skill is 'appreciated' anymore...' replied Rein. 'I'm sorry that I cannot teach you'
Lliana sighed and leaned back against the cold bars. "I thought maybe... Maybe if I could do something worthwhile than I wouldnt be stuck here anymore. But I guess that was foolish..."
'the only way you can get out of here is to get rich...'
"Or get bought." Lliana grinned strangely, her sense of humor was odd indeed. "But nobody wants a scrany little girl."
'And getting bought means throwing away your freedom to work for someone at a 'higher level'' replied Rein. "Thats why I won't get bought" he said aloud.
Lliana looked at the boy strangely. "You arent mute..." She said quietly, then, "I'm Lliana. I dont think I ever got your name."
'no, i'm not mute, just choose not to talk...and I'm Rein...Rein Takashi' replied Rein, now looking around. 'I hate this place...'
"Join the club." Lliana retorted and sunk a little lower against the bars. Her voice was barely audible when she spoke again."What really gets me, is I could escape at any moment, if I wasnt so weak."
'I may be able to help with that' replied Rein, he inspected the bars of her cage, and took out his sword 'Duck' he said, when she did, his sword repeatedly beat against the bars on the cage, eventually they broke. 'I wish I could do that to mine...made of diamond/titanium alloy and cast with a spell of indestructability, the only way out is teleportation and a key, but run while you can, the gaurds didn't hear'
"I cant... I cant just leave you here..." Lliana said quietly, failing to mention that her ankle was broken, so running was out of the question for her anyway. "But the key..." Lliana took a chance and tried something she hadnt in a while. A bit of the shadows from inside the keyhole slowly harded, it zapped alot of her energy, but she would try to help Rein anyway.
'Just go, I'll find a way out, I've been through this three times before, and always escaped...If I escaped now, I would be thrown in a cage, you may have a chance at escape' said Rein.
"No, I wouldnt." Lliana said sternly. "Just trust me." The hardened shadows turned as a key would in the keyhole until Lliana heard a click, then they went back as they were before, and Lliana struggled to get up, supporting herself on the broken bars of her cage.
'Thanks...come on' he said, he opened the door, and then came out. "Can you run?"
"No, but I can hide if they notice." Lliana said quietly, standing with her right foot supporting her, the left was close to useless for her.
'Nevermind then, we'll have to go the easy way' Rein smiled, and climbed into her cage, he pulled up her left side, and put his arm under her arms. 'Brace yourself' He jumped high, and seemed to fly. Then it was like he was shot forward, he grasped her, making sure she couldn't fall at their hight, for, if you didn't land on your feet, you would surely die.
Lliana kept herself from screaming, she gripped Rein tightly and shut her eyes. The ground was where she would much rather be at this point, though she was grateful to Rein for saving her from that place.
Rein looked to her, then began to descend, arriving at the edge of a forest. 'That...I feel was too easy...'
Lliana dropped to the ground on her knees, badly shaken by the trip. "Yeah. We should be thankful."
'No...I mean...more like it feels as if they let us escape, I thought I saw a guard look this way when we...'
"Yes, they went this way, I'm sure of it" said one guard to the other
Lliana looked at Rein strangely, narrowing her eyes. "But why would they do that?" She asked quietly, "It doesnt make sense..."
"Shh" he said aloud as he listened strongly. 'They're coming' he said telepathically, now looking concentrated.
Lliana moved backwards a few feet until the shadows from the trees covered her completely. She felt the strength coming back to her as she stayed in the shadows, slow as it came it still made a big difference.
'But they shan't get here...' he said to her. 'Meso Mina Maraba!' he thought, his body began to transform...
Lliana moved back a few more inches deeper into the darkness, her silver eyes shining strangely. She watched Rein curiously, suspiciously even, as the tiny script on her right wrist began to appear, Ombra, written deep inside her hand and slowly coming into view, the silver text glistening.
Armor grew over his skin, wings sprouted out his back, and a sword melded with his hand as he let out a screech of pain. 'I'll take care of the guards if they come this way' he told her telepathically and painfully.
Lliana nodded, still very suspicious of Rein, expecially now that he had transformed so strangely. She stayed where she was at, gaining strenght through the power of the shadows.
As the guards came near, Rein seemed to dissappear, and many of the guards fell. Rein reappeared where he was, but now looked exhausted. Tranquilizer darts flew after him, they couldn't see the girl from their distance...
Lliana kept herself from escaping, she would stay and help if she must, though she was still suspicious.
Soon, it looked as if Rein had trouble breathing, not the normal huff after lets say, someone just ran...more like, a throat-clogged up trying to force air through breath. He dodged tranquilizer bullets that flew at him as he flew forward, he struck the last guard on the head with his sword, but was hit in the neck with one of the darts as he did so...soon everything went blurry, and then all went black...Rein reverted to his human form after this...
Mostly out of impulse, Lliana pulled herself and Rein into the shadows where they wouldnt be seen, the world of darkness where everything is seen in black and white. It pained her to pull Rein in as well as herself, but she knew it would hurt Rein more than her to be ripped from the light and pulled into the darkness. It took alot of getting used to, this switching of dimensions. But atleast now both of them were safe, safe as long as Lliana had the strength to keep Rein in the darkness.
Rein remained unconcious, he couldn't feel any pain as of now, and probably wouldn't either...
Lliana stood up from her place and stumbled over to Rein. She then began to drag him into the shadows, where he wouldnt be out in the open when her strength ran out.
'Li...Liana?' said Rein telepathically, arousing from conciousness, the tranquilizer wore off.
"Yes?" Lliana spoke without moving her mouth. In the shadow rhealm, Lliana was simply a dark, shady figure, hard to distinguish from everything else, with eerily glowing silver eyes.
'So it 'is' her' he thought 'but...' 'Where are we?' he asked, the pain from his transformation returned to his body, added to it the pain of dimension change, he stood up despite it all
Lliana glanced around and lbinked a couple of times before she spoke again. "The shadow rhealm.... The same place as before, but in the darkness. I pulled you when the dart hit you and you fell. But I dont have enough strength to keep you here long."
'You...didn't have to do that' said Rein, sighing. 'I...haven't anywhere to go anyway...I just arrived on this planet a couple days ago'
"But I did have to do that.... You helped me escape, I wasnt about to let you get captured as a thank you present." Lliana tilted her head slightly with curiosity, "What do you mean, you just arrived on this planet a couple days ago?"
"Nevermind, its...complicated" he said, looking around this...other dimension. 'Its...all black and white...reminds me of my flame' he thought.
"Complicated... Of course..." Lliana sighed and sat down, closing her eyes so it was nearly impossible to tell her apart from everything else. "Are the guards gone yet?"
"They all are...by now they've given up, to continue tomorrow, they need to be at the auctions" said Rein, closing his eyes, he waited for another impact of world-changing to happen.
"Then you can leave." Lliana opened her eyes and undid the conection that kept Rein in the shadow rhealm. It was nearly a minute before she left the rhealm herself.
Rein felt the impact of dimension-change now, and opened his eyes. 'They...are gone, thats a relief' he thought, coming out of the trees...it was empty. 'now...I can do what I was sent to do'
Lliana stood up, but stayed in the shadow to gain as much energy as she possibly could.
Rein went back into the forest into the shadows. 'Do you still want to hear my story of how I got here? well, nevermind...I don't know...you may ignore me if you wish.'
"Yes, I would very much want to hear your story!" Lliana said quietly, a little too eagerly to keep up her cold, indifferent appearance.
'I am not of this planet, but of another, I was sent here...to...I guess test something for Ave'ior, a divine force, an entity of light with extreme power, I am here to study this planet, and pass one of his tests...' he said at first.
Lliana narrowed her eyes, she had many questions, but would wait until she was sure that Rein was finished.
"for me...hard to understand..." he said, now finishing. "for you, I hope it makes sense..."
"What planet are you from? Can you see it in the sky from here? What kind of test? Who is Ave'ior? What do you have to study here?" Lliana asked one question on top of another eagerly, "Ah... Sorry... It's only curiosity..."
"I am from a planet of no name, if you had a strong telescope, maybe you could see it, a test as in to test what I've learned on the planet, Ave'ior is a divine being, and I find out what I study as I go along." he answered quickly. "Curiosity, and I say, got me on this planet..."
Lliana looked down at the grass for a minute to think about this. "Strange..." Was her only comment.
'yes...very' he said ((Writers block))
creep. creep. creep. plop! creep. creep. plop! "Arg! where's that stinking baby?!"A bold rough voice asked angrily."How hard is it to find a stinking, smelly baby?!"Giant foot steps could be heard coming down the hall. The 'stinking baby' crawled away every few inches, just itching to get outside into the fresh clean air.
Lliana looked up and glanced around. "So... What are you going to do now? The guards will be back eventually..."
'Face them...' replied Rein, acutally in no hurry to face the guards, but he didn't seem scared...
Lliana raised her eyebrows slightly but said nothing. She leaned against the tree she was sitting under and stared at the grass.
The baby continued to crawl through the halls, managing to keep the men a great distance behind in succeeding of finding him. He only had one thing on his mind. And it was to get out of the giant doll house.
'What about you, what will you do when they come back searching...I know you hide in the shadows but...' Rein said, still talking telepathically.
"But what?" Lliana sulked. "I have nowhere to go, I cant go back to the streets now."
"YEAAHHHH...." a happy little voice exclaimed when i was finally out the door. He went to the first stair and looked down. He hadn't learned how to go up and down stairs, mainly he was placed on one floor, so he put finger to his mouth and then looked for an easier way down.
He spotted a gutter-like increase that went down the length of the stairs. liking the idea of a slide he crawled over and plopped himself at the beginning of the increase. He got into a comfy position and slid down.
He landed safely with only a small amount of dirt on his cheek. He just barely wiped it off and went on crawling, happy with his success.
'I have nowhere to go either...except to study...'
Lliana looked up, a sour look on her face. "Well then I guess we're two of a kind."
"Two..." 'of a kind...not really, I'm...not from this planet...'
"Does it really make a difference where you're from?" Lliana mumbled, not quite liking where the conversation was going. "When it all boils down, it's not who you are, who your parents are, where you come from, or any of the like that matters, but who you make yourself to be." It sounded like Lliana had said this more than once, like it was her own personal speach almost. She looked up and smiled strangely.
'We're...different in more ways than you know...' said Rein, leaning against a tree...His shoulders still cringed slightly with pain as he didn't move his arms...
"I'm sure we are." Lliana said quietly, still smiling oddly.
'I better start...good luck not getting caught!' he said, leaving the clearing, he looked around. 'looks enough like my home planet, if I didn't know better...' he thought, but shook his head, no slavery he knew of was on his planet. 'anyway...I need to study it...'
Lliana's smile vanished and she stood up, limping through the forest to find the shadyest part. When she had found it, she sat down under a tree and closed her eyes, feeling her strength returning. "Keep your luck, you'll need it more than me."
'What's that? Master?' replied Rein to absolutely nothing. 'Yes... I suppose'
Lliana leaned against the tree and vanished from this rhealm into the shadow rhealm. She closed her eyes and rested.
Rein hid as guards came around, if they found him, he would fight...
Lliana fell asleep under the tree, her strength slowly returning to her under the shade.
"There he is, get him!" yelled guards, surrounding Rein in his hiding place. 'I really hoped I would have to...' he thought, all the guards suddenly flew to their backs as Rein landed right under a tree's shade. "Come on...you can do better than that" said Rein, for once aloud in front of many people. the guards quickly stood up.
Lliana heard the commotion and awakened, though she stayed in the shadow rhealm. Slowly she crept from her tree to the source of the noise, staying in the shadow rhealm. I really hope they dont get a clue from my eyes... She thought, as her eerily glowing eyes were the only part of her that could be seen.
"AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUHHHH!" yelled Rein, the ground shaking under him, flame circled him as he sat indian style, and the fire spread to the guards...instantly starting them aflame, a black-eerie flame which was curious in a way, because it burned them, yet encircled Rein, touching his flesh without burning him...
Lliana flinched as the flame passed through her, though it didnt touch her as she was still in the shadow rhealm. She noticed no difference in color of the flame, as she saw in black and white.
'now?' thought Rein in question, and recieved his answer. His flame suddenly dissappeared from everything, he closed his eyes, and let himself be taken by the guards...
"What are you doing?" Lliana screamed, though it seemed like only a whisper in the realm Rein and the guards were in. She wanted to do something, but she was still too weak, and there were too many guards. He'll have to fend for himself. Lliana thought, drawing back further away from the guards, He's a big boy...
Nearly placed in a cage, Rein's eyes now snapped open, and the guards legs were set aflame again. This was back in the slave market area. Rein flew into the air, and looked down. 'going once...going twice...sold!' heard Rein faintly, repeating it in his mind. '500 gold for this lovely slave...' 'So...thats what theey're up to here, is this whole planet based on this, or just this area?' he wondered.
Lliana had crept back, against her will, to the market. She was no longer in the shadow realm, but she stayed in the shadows just incase. Lliana went largely unnoticed in the crowd of people.
Rein descended, bleding in with the crowd after he landed, the guards didn't notice it was him. 'Sold!' another sold, and a master left... ' hope she got away...'
Lliana's eyes flickered to movement she thought she recognized. Is that him? What is he doing?
Rein took the tooth-pick sized sword out of his pocket, and waited for a moment to grow it, and fight...just the right moment.
Lliana moved further in the crowds, there was less shade, but she was curious.
Rein slowly walked to the front of the crowd, not pushing, just wated and every time there was an opening, he went forward. Pretty soon, at the front of the crowd, he jumped quickly, and slashed at the cage of the slave that was brought up there, cut her bonds, and let her run away, pretty soon guards lined up for both Rein, to capture, and ran after the slave that Rein had let go. Rein ran after the slave, to ensure her safety, he stopped the guards that chased her till she got away. Then the guards surrounded him that were left, and not laying on the ground, fainted.
Lliana watched in silence. Is that all he's here for? To free slaves? Lliana thought as she followed at a distance, He's gonna have his work cut out for him, then...
Rein fell to his hands and knees, and let out a gasp, now having trouble breathing. this time, though, he didn't have to perform his chant, he just...transformed, you know, wings sprouted out his back, armor grew over his skin, this time he glowed with a black aura, and his eyes turned purely black.
Lliana stopped where she was at and watched quietly.
"G...et...aw...ay" he muttered, his voice sounded scratchy, his demon form now took over, and he floated slowly to the air, his sword in hand.
"We've got you surrounded, surrender now!" the guards called, obviously clueless on what is going on.
Lliana tilted her head slightly and moved quickly to a shadier area where she could better watch what happens.
In a moment, a blink of an eye, most the guards were on the ground, not dead, but bleeding. "I...war...ned the...m" he muttered, straining for control of his body, he supressed his demon form enough to not kill any of the guards.
Lliana stayed very still in the shade. "Rein?" She whispered, puzzled.
Rein heard a voice behind him, and before he knew it, he was turned around, staring at the spot the voice came from. "Lliana...ge..t aw...ay" he said, his eyes still glowed black, along with the rest of his body. This form started flying slowly toward her, moving quicker with every passing second. Right when he was in front of her, and was about to strike her with his sword, it wore off...Rein reverted to his human form "AHAA!" he yelped in pain, and lay on his hands and knees weakly. Blood could be seen on his right hand.
"Rein! What happened?" Lliana said, her eyes turning a pale blue. She knelt down infront of him and looked at him seriously. "What are you Rein? What are you really?"
"Lliana...I...don't know" he said, struggling to keep himself even braced on his hands and knees. "what...I am"
Lliana was quiet for a long time, remembering a situation almost identical to this one. Her best friend and guardian had stuck up for Lliana and cared for her all her life. And Lliana had kept her abilities secret, for reasons she would rather not think about again. Her guardian had almost gotten captured by the slavers, and Lliana used her powers to save her. The question was the same as Lliana's to Rein, and so was the answer. "Neither do I..." Lliana said quietly, her eyes turning very dark blue suddenly.
Rein now collapsed from exhaustion, pain, all that. He got an answer before fainting, but not from Lliana. 'The answer is in the past...' said a voice to him, he fainted, and didn't know he was bleeding in the area where his wings sprouted.
Lliana stayed very still where she was. She didnt knwo what to do for Rein's wounds, so did nothing at all. There was nobody around to worry about, anyway.
Rein woke up, sitting up, he grimmaced in pain, and quickly lay back down. "Where...am I?" he wondered aloud, looking around, not remembering what had happened before he fainted...
"The same place you've been since you passed out." Lliana said. She had moved to the shade of a nearby tree, and was drawing in the dirt with a stick.
"So..." he said, letting out a whoosh of air. "it happened again..." Rein jumped, and punched the ground with his fist angrily, making it bleed slightly, but was necessary, as she wouldn't understand. "Thanks...for your help" he said. ((I was going to have him become a slave earlier, but NAH, i'm having too much fun...))
"Oh, I didnt do anything." Lliana looked up, her eyes had changed back to their normal blue. She was curious, but asked no more.
"You did...earlier on our first escape from the cages, I never...thanked you" said Rein, the more he came to trust someone, the more he spoke oaloud...to hear his voice was something special.
Lliana tilted her head and looked up at Rein, the drawing on the dirt stayed as it was for awhile. "You..." She said, puzzled, then went back to the drawing on the ground. "No problem, really."
"after I'd fainted...you drew me to the shadow world, hiding me from the guards...that is what I thank you for" he said, now forcing himself to stand, he felt blood slowly trickle down under his shirt, and gasped. "not again..."
"As I said, it was no problem." Lliana said, starting to become irritated. Her eyes flashed a deep blue for a second then went back to normal. "Again... what? What's wrong?"
"The area where the wings sprout out are bleeding...makes it hard to stand" he said, taking a cloth from his pocket, he wrapped it tightly around areas of his wounds, such as there...
"Oh..." Lliana said quietly, then went back to the drawing on the ground.
After finishing, Rein sat against a tree. "It...sucks being half demon." he said sighing.
"So you do know." Lliana said, breaking the frail stick that she had been using to draw in the dirt with. "What you are, I mean."
"I don't know that I'm a demon..." he said "Its...just what I've been called, but mostly...its my human form that I'm in..." he said.
"Thats atleast better than not knowing anything at all." Lliana snapped, then recoiled. "Sorry, I guess I'm not in the best mood right now."
"I guess..." Rein said. "It's okay, I can understand that feeling..."
Lliana nodded. "I bet." She stood up and brushed off her skirt then announced, "Well, I'll be going now."
"Alright..." he said, pushing himself up. "I...think...I'm staying in the forest..."
"Great. So I know where to find you next time you're in trouble." Lliana smirked. "I'll be off back to the city. Now that I have more strength, I should be able to keep away from the gaurds long enough to find what I'm looking for."
"Alright" he said. "Goodbye!" he said.
Lliana said nothing more but just walked away, back to the town, back to the maze of buildings and alleyways that had been her home all her life, though she hated it.
Rein wound deeper into the forest, looking for something. 'does this planet have any jadestone?' he wondered, searching the ground.
Lliana made her way through the dark alleyways of the city, always keeping in the shadow, until she arrived at the center of the city, the town square. It was a meager town's old town square, just a few feet of cobblestone underfoot and a fountain that didnt work anymore. Though the square used to be a popular meeting place, only the children living in the streets went there now. Lliana glanced at the position of the sun in the sky, then sat under the old fountain, waiting.
Rein picked something up, shook his head, and set it back down. He kept on doing this for a while till he found something. 'hmm? Jade?' he nodded his head in approval. 'this...is the spot I fell on this planet...must have fallen off...'
Nothing. Lliana thought as her eyes jumped from place to place alertly. Atleast not yet. But they should be here soon...
And soon it was, indeed. Lliana heard hushed whispers, and scruffing feet against the pavement. She smirked and stood slowly.
Someone came out of the alley, another kid like herself, with mud smeared on his face. "Lilly?" He asked. "That you?" Lliana nodded as the boy came forward, followed by a few other kids. She could see curious eyes in the shadows as well.
"We thought you were taken." One kid said.
"I was." Lliana retorted. "I escaped, with the help of another prisoner."
"Then why are back here, stupid?!? The guards will be looking for you! And you'll lead them right to us!"
Lliana ignored the remarks that followed. "I'm leaving. I just came back here to find something first. Then, mark my word, you wont ever see me again in these streets."
Rein slipped the jade on a small thread around his neck. Just in the nick of time, he escaped back in the forest, guards swarmed the area, not daring to check the forest...Rein went down for a long way, and then saw the city... 'hmm...another place to study...'
The kids murmured around the fountain for awhile. Lliana folded her arms and waited as patiently as she could. Then, finally, the kid with the mud smeared across his face stepped forward again. "Hurry, find it, take it, and leave." He said roughly. "But remember Lilly, come back here anytime. Just, dont bring any guards with you."
Lliana smirked again. "Dont worry about that. I'll be quick. I just need access to the shack by the wall of cages."
More murmuring and a few gasps of astonishment. The mud-smeared boy pulled Lliana aside and whispered harshly, "Now what could you want there, Lilly? There aint nothing in that shack!"
Lliana glared and roughly pulled her arm free. "That is none of your business." She hissed, then smiled and turned back to the other kids. "Can anyone help me with this? I'll give anyone who can lockpick good a reward, if I get the item I'm looking for."
"What's the reward?" Someone asked.
"The gold stash left by Vern. He told me the location." Lliana answered, knowing full well the lie she told would be recieved well by these ears. There was well over 5,000 gold in that stash, and money was something of power.
"How do we know you're not lying?" Someone else said over the hushed exclamations of suprise.
"I have no need for the gold." Lliana shrugged, "I just need that item, them I'm out of here for good."
Rein hurried into the city, taking cover by alleys, behind buildings, and all that every time a guard came around. 'now where...I can't see where to go...' Soon he glanced left and right, hearing voices, he quickly took cover, thinking them a guard...
Though the false reward was much wanted, and the task seemed easy enough, there were only two vollunteers. One was a scrawny kid, small and weak, but with alert eyes and a cunning mouth. Lliana didnt know the kid personally, but she had heard that he was good, and always shared any food he managed to get with the other smaller kids. The next was a slightly bigger guy, with a stupid looking face that Lliana recognized. She hated this kid, and he could sense it. But still, she chose him over the scrawny kid.
"Come on, Lenny. I have to leave the city before sundown." She said stiffly, seeing the dissapointmet in the other boy's face. After that, the kids slowly dispersed back into the alleyways and shadows, and Lliana made her way back to the wall of cages, with Lenny following close behind.
'Those werent guards...kids?' Rein wondered, now looking around the corner, he now came out in the open, seeing no guards...he continued his search.
Lliana and Lenny went quickly to the wall of cages, keeping in the safety of the shadows until they had reached the shack, or the guard room.
"Here it is." Lliana said, in barely even a whisper.
Lenny nodded and quickly picked the lock, despite his stupid looking face, he was quite skilled at things like this. Opening the door slowly, Lliana went in while Lenny stayed just outside the door on lookout.
There were rows and rows of weapons, swords, clubs, whips, spears, and a few shields and chain mail sets, but these werent what Lliana was looking for. In the dark interior of the guardroom shack, it would be almost impossible to find what she was looking for unless you knew what it was. And that, Lliana did.
On a table in the far end of the room was piled stuff that the guards had taken from the prisoners and soon-to-be-slaves. It was there that Lliana went.
"Quickly," Hissed Lenny from the door, "I dont want to be a slave, you know."
Rein continued his walk, he saw a kid or two in an alley before they dissappeared at his glance. 'people cautious (sp?) here, is it because the guards?' he thought, turning, he saw a guard headed toward him, Rein quickly reached into his pocket...
Lliana rolled her eyes at Lenny's remark and continued digging through the pile. She pocketed a small leather pouch of coins and a few lose coins she found in the pile of nearly worthless items. Finally, Lliana found what she was looking for, and stuffed it in her pocket with the coins as she hurried back to the door, stopping only to grab a dagger and the keys from the peg on the wall.
"About time." Lenny grumbled, "Took you long enough. Now how about my reward?" His eyes glittered with greed.
"Right, I was just getting to that," Lliana leaned close to Lenny like she was going to whisper where the false stash was hidden, then shoved him inside the guard room and closed and locked the door. "I didnt want to create enemies, Lenny, so I just repaid my old ones. Here's your reward, hope you enjoy it." She said through the door, "Dont make too much noise, or the guards will come find you." And, dropping the keys in a nearby bush in plain sight of anyone near the guardroom, Lliana made a run for it.
Rein turned this corner and that, not knowing his way through town. He soon came upon cages, and Lliana walking away. He saw the small...shed-like thing around the side, and silently moved to it. He knocked on the small door, if there was a guard in there, he was in trouble, if it was a master...same story, but not caring...something else was confiscated from him, and he'd been searching for the cages, he needed this item for reasons soon found.
"Hello? Anyone in there" he whispered close to the door.
No sound came from the inside of the guardroom shack-like structure, Lenny had hidden himself, thinking the person at the door was a guard.
Rein closed his eyes, and the lock snapped off. He cautiously entered the room, and began to shuffle for a few things... 'where...is it?' he wondered silently. He saw something glint in his eye, and immediately reached for it. A perfectly round stone lay in there...red like blood. Rein shook his head, and started to leave.
Lenny began sneaking towards the door, quietly, he was still suspicious of the person.
Lliana continued running, mostly staying in the shadows, back to the forest she had left. As she was running, her energy draining quickly, guards came seemingly out of nowhere and grabbed her roughly, and though she fought to escape from their clutch, they were too strong, and she was now too weak. "Let me go!" She gasped as they chained her arms, sounding all of a sudden very childlike.
'let me go!' sounded in Rein's ears, he had sharp hearing from many things...from his home planet. "Lliana!" he gasped as he took off out of the guard room at a full-run.
Lliana managed to kick one of the guards over, but another one quickly filled his place. Theres too many for me to fight them like this, and I'm in the sunlight. A black mist began forming from the shadows under the guards and quickly grew thicker, Time for some hurt... The guards didnt seem to notice as the mist surrounded them, slowly choking their legs and bodies as it grew. Lliana's eyes flashed a brilliant blue, mixing both a pale milky blue and a deep navy blue in swirls and she gasped as her strength was pulled from her into the mist.
"L...Lliana" muttered Rein under his breath, staying behind a building so neither the guards nor her would see him.
The mist formed itself into a big, dark, cloudy being and strangled the guards, though it wasnt strong enough to kill them, it susceeded in scaring away most of them before Lliana's last reserves of energy died out and she passed out.
Rein saw all the guards gone, and ran to Lliana. He stood over her. 'I...had no idea she had such power...'
Lliana looked much older than seven as she lay there unconcious. The mist quickly evaporated and somehow sucked itself into the object that Lliana grasped firmly in her hand. After a couple of seconds, her eyes fluttered open and she groaned from the intense pain on her back from the guard's rought treatment of her.
"Lliana...Are you alright" said Rein quietly as to not arouse attention to them.
"No..." Lliana moaned, trying to sit up. She didnt suceed.
"Is there anything...I can do to help?" he asked quietly, feeling in his pocket, he found something, and took his hand out...empty.
Lliana held her hand to her forehead, the other hand still grasping the strange object that she retrieved from the guardhouse. "Yeah. Forget that ever happened." She mumbled distractedly, opening her hand slowly, almost scared to look at the object.
Rein nodded, and stood up. "If...theres nothing I can do, I...guess I'll leave..." he said, he began to walk away.
"Have fun searching for whatever it is that you're looking for." Lliana said, slowly sitting up.
"I...already found it" he yelled back, walking out of sight.
"Well then good for you." Lliana mumbled, then finally opened her hand and looked at the object that she had retreived from the guardroom. It was a pendant on a long silver chain, the pendant a strange smokey glass, in the shape of a teardrop, and hollow. "Atleast I have it now."
"I...got it back..." he muttered, throwing the stone into the air, and catching it. "My fathers memento..."
Lliana put the necklace on and slipped it under her shirt, feeling the cold metal againt her skin. It was wonderful, knowing now that nobody else could have any sort of power or control over her.
Rein tucked the memento in his pocket as he saw a guard round the corner, then whistle suddenly. "I don't have time to deal with you" he said his eyes glowing black as flame shot out his hands at a guard, and the other ones rounding the corner.
Lliana smiled sadly and stood up, walking slowly over to the trees.
"I won't kill you, just leave me alone...don't ever hunt another slave again" said Rein coldly, then walked away, once out of sight, he extinguished the flame, not lettting them die, but be badly injured.
The trees were comfort to Lliana, more the shadows they created than the trees themselfs. She sat down under a particulary shady tree and rested, tsking her necklace out and holding it in her fingers, looking at something inside the hollow glass pendant that only she could see.
'What do I study next?' he wondered looking around...
Lliana sighed and dropped the pendant, letting it hand on it's chain around her neck. She slowly fell into a light slumber.
Rein saw a kid in an alley, and shook his head, moving on. 'kid life, no...adult life, no...already studied slave/master, landscape, etc. but...is this the only city?' he thought, looking from left to right as he walked.
As Lliana was sleeping, the amulet vibrated slightly.
Rein saw a guard, now jumping behind an alley, he saw a kid to his side, but looked forward, hiding, making sure that he remained unseen...
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