A Warm Welcome to Sunberth (Complete)

[Ysabel]

Late Winter 511 AV

Ysabel gripped the bars of her cage tightly. She lay on the floor exhausted, dehydrated, and starved. She was beyond the point of crying and she just lay there staring blankly into space. She felt nothing.

She sobbed quietly to herself wondering if she would die here; in a cage alone. She knew the answer to that already. She sniffed quietly and sobbed again and rested her head on her arm, using it as a pillow. Ysabel could hear the footsteps of Sunberth citizens taking a late night stroll before the sun set. Or maybe they were doing something less moral, she really didn't care.

Ysabel had been in the iron cage for a few days now. She figured she was there for about four days but the days just seemed to run together now and she found herself losing track of the hours. She had gotten over her hunger at the end of the third day. She felt numb. She wanted it all to end.

She had tried escaping but the lock on the door was stable and didn't budge in even the slightest. Ysabel called to the people that passed by when she was first caged. Nothing helped.

They ignored her, they hooted and heckled at her. They threw rocks as her. She felt humiliated and soon gave up and accepted her fate; rotting.

Closing her eyes trying to find peace and bring forth slumber she sighed. As she felt the blissful darkness approach her mind wandered to how she got into the imprisonment she's in now. She rested fitfully her screams filling the cold night air as she relived her capture.

[Archelon]

oocPlease timestamp as you please and mark if you want this to be a closed or open thread. If it's open I'll let you have one other PC here to help you . Days, hanging in the sun. Unwashed , unclean, the cages hanging nearby a grim reminder of her ever looming fate. In one to her left, the dessicated remains of a man with blue skin, and a missing eye where a bird had pecked it out from its socket. A delicacy to the local crows. To her right, a simpering child of six, clutching desperately at a bell distended by hunger as he gazed left and right in a delirious haze. The boy had been here longer then her, and had worried his own lips, gnawing them for meat as he drank his own blood with pain staked lips. His legs kicked feebly outside the hanging cage on the bridge that lead to Riverside Isle park. This was the essence of depravity. This was the ice cold hand of the daggerhands who would make a statement to everyone that any who defied them were less then worthless save only as a public spectacle deprived of all humanity, form, focus , and conscious thought. The woman had been brought here after being in a dark place for such a long time, her limbs were weak, her will flickering like the flames of a melting candle just before she went out. Her mind plagued by the delirium that such circumstances would be the death of her would barely notice the boy's high pitched whine as he cried and shuddered in the winter's cold. Would she die like this? The whining got louder, and louder, almost nauseating to her senses and too much to bear...

[Ysabel]

Running . . . so tired . . . have to keep moving . . . must hide . . .


Ysabel pushed her legs harder than before, trying to outrun the men chasing her. Panic rose in her chest as the slowly grew closer and closer to her. One man quickly got ahead of the others. Tears started to stream down her face as she realized that she was going to get caught. They were going to kill her. She could feel it.

She tried running faster but her legs soon grew tired and she could feel herself slow down. She sobbed quietly. Suddenly her foot snagged on a root and she was thrown to the ground. She heard a sickening snap as her foot hit the rock and she knew there was no escaping this fate. Much like her mother was taken from her many years ago she was being stolen away. The only difference is she had no loved one's being left behind, she had no daughter to have to suffer her years of absents.

As her body was being hurdled towards a rather large rock she remembered her mothers face. The way she would smile and tell her everything would right and the way it would make her feel safe. What Ysabel wouldn't do to feel safe now; to feel like everything would be all right. To be with her mother again.

As her head hit the rock she felt darkness approach her, welcoming her like an old friend. She felt her body being picked up and thrown over one of the men's shoulders.

“I'm coming Momma.”

* * *

Two days later Ysabel awoke alone in her cage dangling near a river. She was hungry, injured, cold and scared. A young boy was still alive in a cage next to her heart went out to him and she prayed that when he exits this life he will pass on to a much happier place. He already looked almost half dead. She wanted to set him free but she knew they would both die here. They would suffer the same death of the blue man.

She lay in her cage in a fetal position for the next few days hoping that someone would rescue her.

[Tawk]

Back.

Finally, back.

For the first time in a long time, Tawk felt like he was home. Which was fitting - he was home. He had left his horse, Han, by the stables and decided to take a walk through Sunberth. He grinned ever so slightly as the ocean air filled his lungs. It had been long since Tawk left - Sunberth had changed. He found himself lost. Looking around, Tawk was mortified to see the conditions of some of the people of Sunberth - the people seemed to be drained of all will to live. It became obvious to Tawk that his return may have been in vain. Maybe Sunberth wasn't all that much free and independent as he had remembered it to be, perhaps it had turned into a violent, poisonous thieves den where ordinary people faced oppression and terror... but of course, he could be wrong. He had been wrong before.

Tired of the narrow and filthy streets decided to try and make his way out of this seemingly never-ending complex. As dusk rapidly approached, Tawk wandered to the river where he used to come to contemplate and meditate about his being. The river hadn't changed one bit. As the sun began to drift beyond the horizon and the moonlight glistened off the banks of the river, Tawk noticed the cages.

He was horrified. Even he - a man that grew up with Myrians; a man that had a career in murdering people for pay had never been exposed to such inhumane actions. One person stood out in the dark blight though - a woman with hair and skin as white as snow. He walked quietly and slowly up to the woman's cage and whispered "What did you do to deserve this?"

[Ysabel]

Voice.

Wake up Ysabel. Wake up.

Ysabel lifted her head slightly and was surprised to see a man looking up at her. She felt like cowering in fear of him but restrained herself. She looked over at the two that had an unfriendly fate. She pressed herself against the bars of her cage in an attempt to get closer to the man.

“I wandered away from my home.” She said in a thick Kontinese accent. She gripped the bars and leaned closer to floor of the cage as if to tell him a secret.

“I left Mura on a short walk and they captured me. They put me in this cage and left me to rot.” Her eyes flashed to the dead man and the dying boy. The boy had silenced his whimpering and was now silent. Ysabel couldn’t tell if he was dead or not. She hoped this man could help her . . . and maybe the boy.

“Why are you here?” She whispered weakness weighing on her voice. Despite being trapped here she was curious about him. She hadn’t had any social interaction for days a week maybe. She didn’t know, she had long since lost track of time.

[Tawk]

As the woman pressed herself against the bars, Tawk moved back slightly. He had recovered from his initial infatuation with the woman and was back to his normal state. He was aware that the woman could be lying but he felt like he could trust her, even though this was the first time he had ever laid eyes upon her.

As she starting speaking, Tawk picked up the obvious Kontinese accent - which of course explained the paleness of the woman and her ghostly hair. As she leaned even closer towards him, Tawk felt that the trust he felt for her was mutual... or maybe it was just desperation. Whichever the case, Tawk felt sympathy for the girl.

-"Why am I here?" Tawk said slowly, his brain wasn't functioning completely. He was shocked by the treatment the boy and the woman had faced. Some men are just animals, with no sense of justice whatsoever. -"I am here because me and Sunberth have a history. This is my town... but that isn't important - you and this boy," he stopped and nodded at the child, hoping to get any sort of response, "are barely alive. Tell me, Konti, who holds the key to your cage?"

Hmmph. Can't believe it. First day back and I'm already getting way over my head.

[Ysabel]

Ysabel felt a sliver of hope. She smiled slightly and looked at the guard who held their keys. He had gotten drunk and now was passed out against a wall with the bottle still in his hands. He had fallen asleep a while ago. She didn't blame him, he had nothing to do but hold a bunch of keys. Her hand slipped between the bars of her cage and she pointed a bony finger at the inebriated guard. When her savior turned in that direction she pressed herself against the bars again.

“Be careful.” She said quietly her voice laced with worry. “He has a knife in his belt.” She warned. She truly worried for the man. She didn't want him to have the same fate as her and the boy. She only hoped that should he fail that his death would be quick and painless. He didn't deserve to rot.

Shaking her darker thoughts from her mind she turned to the boy's cage next to her. She lay down on the floor of her cage as much as she could and reached her arm out. She touched the boy's cold skin and shook him slightly. His head weakly lifted and he looked at Ysabel. She smiled at him comfortingly. She pressed a finger to her lips telling him to stay silent and pointed at their savior as he plotted how to get the keys from the guard.

[Tawk]

The girls' eyes flickered over to the guard. Tawk took a minute to scan him - he was human. Middle-aged, beer-belly - hairy and untidy; filthy even. This was the type of man who barely does his job and then hits the taverns, the type of man who only found company in painted whores. Tawk grimaced, he could no doubt best the man, he still had Perowisp, his blade, hidden under his coat. Even so, Tawk had not killed a man for a long time, even though dealing death had been as common for him as breathing for a time.

Alright, Tawk... You can do this.

He nodded once at the girl and then crouched down, scanning the muddy ground for any twigs that could alert the guard. He saw only one, so he continued, ever so slowly, easily navigating past the lone stick.

-"Hrrrnnnghh!"

Tawk froze as fear struck. Luckily for him, the guard had just let go a mighty belch, but had not awoken. Taking a deep sigh, Tawk continued, even slower this time. The man was slumped up against the wall, so the keys stuck out of his pocket. The rank odour of cheap ale and wine was all Tawk could smell as his fingers crept to the keyring. Tawk wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it out slowly, avoiding to yank it or make it cause noise, the guard would be sure to wake. Tawk could feel sweat dripping off his eyebrow, he wasn't as confident as he used to be. But alas, Tawk got the keys. He sighed and took a step backwards, longing to get away from the fetid stench.

CRACK!

The dry twig snapped in half.


The guards eyes lit up like fire and he jumped up on his feet. Tawk was so astounded that the guard could have gotten up so quickly - and in his confusion, the guard managed to get a clean blow straight to his face. Tawk was thrown back into the mud, the keys flying right in front of Ysabel's cage. Tawk recovered quickly by rolling away and stood up, drawing his sword. -"I'll gut you like a pig, guardsman." Tawk growled viciously. -"I am leaving and these two are coming with me."

The guard gloated as he reached for his knife.
-"Not a chance, boy."

[Ysabel]

Ysabel gasped when she saw the vile guard reach for his knife. She suddenly sprang to work. Reaching out as far as she could she stretched her arm to try and grasp for the keys. Her fingers just grazed the rusting metal keys. They moved slightly farther away from her. Her eyes nervously flashed to the fighting two her hands started shaking with adrenaline she stretched her arm further, her muscles burning from the strain. Her hand finally reached the keys again, this time her finger was at the edge of the loop. She hooked her finger through it and brought it towards her. Looking at the loop she saw that there were many keys in many varying shapes and sizes. She had no idea which one was hers or what they all went to for that matter. With shaky hands she reached around the bars to her lock where she began trying keys.

Wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

Her anxiety spiked after every failed key. She let out a small cry as she looked at her savior fighting for them. She needed to get out of here. Finally the next key slid into the lock. She laughed in joy. She's free! She twisted the key in the lock until it clicked and the door of her cage swung open emitting a small cloud of rusty flakes. She laughed again having feel her feet touch anything but the hard metal of her cage.

Shaking herself out of her internal celebration she yanked the keys out of the lock and moved to the boys cage. She made much quicker work of his cage now that she was fully able to see the lock. Her eyes darted from the cage to the fight. The boy's door swung open and fell completely off, some of the metal bars rolling away. She went inside the cage and picked the boy up as best as she could. She quickly ran to the side of the river and hid him behind a large piece of wood that had washed ashore.

Ysabel ran back to the direction of her savior. Looking around frantically she searched for something. Anything that she could use to fight with. Her eyes spotted an iron bar that had fallen off the boy's cage she ran to it and picked it up. She stalked towards the two and sneaked up behind the guard and raised the bar prepared to hit him over the head with it. Her eye's were wide and her hands trembling as they met those of her savior and she silently asked for permission to finish him off.

[Tawk]

Tawk and the guard's gaze met. The man had quickly sobered up, and was as pumped with adrenaline as Tawk, but what scared Tawk most is that this man wasn't just the ordinary hound dog guard, he was a killer. He wouldn't hesitate for a second if he got the opportunity to kill Tawk.

Defensive Tawk. Wait for the right time to strike..

Tawk shifted his bodyweight over to his left leg, which was firmly placed behind him. Tawk gripped Perowisp tightly with his right hand and waited for the guard to make his move. The guard was not as gentle as Tawk in his movement, he simply lunged towards him, hacking and slashing in all directions. Tawk didn't anticipate the guard to be so quick, and paid the price by having his right arm slashed. He howled with pain and quickly darted back. He could feel the warm blood spurt out of the fresh wound and trickle down his forearm. Tawk had barely any time to recover as the guard pressed on the attack. Tawk evaded his attacks left and right before smacking the guard's knife with his sword, throwing the guard off balance. Tawk punched the guard in the face and shoved him into the ground.

Tawk pointed the blade at the guard, -"Stay down." he sharply suggested, with a hint of pride - he had bested a trained guardsman. The guard gloated, even though a big blue and red bulge now covered one of his eyes, -"Seems like the little lady and the boy are gone, lad." he said with a deep and raspy voice, obviously out of breath. Tawk glimpsed back - it was true, she wasn't in the cage. This brief lapse of reason on Tawk's behalf was enough time for the guard to spring to his feet. He charged at Tawk and their shoulders collided, Tawk's thin frame was no match for the heavy guard so Tawl was thrown to the ground, dropping his blade as well.

This is the end.

Tawk pleadingly looked to the man, but there was no mercy in his eyes. He readied the knife. Tawk glimpsed at the woman, who had appeared out of nowhere behind him. Hope lit up within Tawk and the fear dissipated. He nodded and closed his eyes.