12th Spring, 512 AV
"Kill me."
A pause as wide as the chasm of time itself.
"No. The luxury of death is yet beyond you. There is much to be done."
"I'm sorry," the slightest quiver, so very child-like in it's uncertainty. "I can't do it."
"There was never an option. You know the price."
"I'll pay it."
"But not with your life. No, not this time. There are other commodities a human life can offer."
"Did I stutter, wretch? I will pay it!"
"Many have said the same. Many have opted for the debt over death. All your mortal priorities are skewed; you just didn't know it before you met me. You're just like the rest: Predictable."
"You know nothing about me, wretch."
"I know you offered your two brothers up to Vayt for a printing press and a pair of boots. I know you cooked your sister just to see her boil, to see her squeal like a sow as the red took over her skin. I know-"
"Ewwwwww. That's just gross. Why would you say that?"
"Hey, you broke character first. It wasn't me this time."
Two figures, one tall, one short, walking through the damp, cold gloom of the cavern. They were, as far as the eye could see, alone with each other.
Or perhaps there were things lurking beyond the fringe of sight. Things so quiet that the only noise they made was silence.
Anton made a face at the much, much taller Huntell. "You're mean," he half-whined. "You're like rhysol-mean, like glassbeak-mean. Like speaker-mean!"
"The last one was uncalled for, young man."
"Well, that's how mean you are."
Anton then looked around, one of many brief pauses in their conversation that forced his attention away from the comfort of distracting bantering and words and into his dread surroundings around and about. He had been assured that the top levels of the ristage caverns were fairly safe, that they were cleared as extra housing for the Womiyu, that anything he needed to be afraid of was down below and had little interest coming up to feast on little children.
It changed nothing.
Huntell was as tuned to his mood as ever. "Get used to the dark, squirt. This ain't the worse you're gonna see."
"There's worst?"
Huntell shrugged. "Some parts of the underground. Always a bigger chunk of darkness out there."
"Why are we here?"
"To train. Only 4 more days, squirt. Thought you would like a change of scenery."
"...You took me from the safety of civilization into this stone-covered hellhole teeming with unspeakable horrors just beneath our feet because you THOUGHT I would like a change of scenery?"
"Huh. When you put it that way..."
A pause as wide as the chasm of time itself.
"No. The luxury of death is yet beyond you. There is much to be done."
"I'm sorry," the slightest quiver, so very child-like in it's uncertainty. "I can't do it."
"There was never an option. You know the price."
"I'll pay it."
"But not with your life. No, not this time. There are other commodities a human life can offer."
"Did I stutter, wretch? I will pay it!"
"Many have said the same. Many have opted for the debt over death. All your mortal priorities are skewed; you just didn't know it before you met me. You're just like the rest: Predictable."
"You know nothing about me, wretch."
"I know you offered your two brothers up to Vayt for a printing press and a pair of boots. I know you cooked your sister just to see her boil, to see her squeal like a sow as the red took over her skin. I know-"
"Ewwwwww. That's just gross. Why would you say that?"
"Hey, you broke character first. It wasn't me this time."
Two figures, one tall, one short, walking through the damp, cold gloom of the cavern. They were, as far as the eye could see, alone with each other.
Or perhaps there were things lurking beyond the fringe of sight. Things so quiet that the only noise they made was silence.
Anton made a face at the much, much taller Huntell. "You're mean," he half-whined. "You're like rhysol-mean, like glassbeak-mean. Like speaker-mean!"
"The last one was uncalled for, young man."
"Well, that's how mean you are."
Anton then looked around, one of many brief pauses in their conversation that forced his attention away from the comfort of distracting bantering and words and into his dread surroundings around and about. He had been assured that the top levels of the ristage caverns were fairly safe, that they were cleared as extra housing for the Womiyu, that anything he needed to be afraid of was down below and had little interest coming up to feast on little children.
It changed nothing.
Huntell was as tuned to his mood as ever. "Get used to the dark, squirt. This ain't the worse you're gonna see."
"There's worst?"
Huntell shrugged. "Some parts of the underground. Always a bigger chunk of darkness out there."
"Why are we here?"
"To train. Only 4 more days, squirt. Thought you would like a change of scenery."
"...You took me from the safety of civilization into this stone-covered hellhole teeming with unspeakable horrors just beneath our feet because you THOUGHT I would like a change of scenery?"
"Huh. When you put it that way..."