A Warm Welcome to Sunberth (Complete)

[Ysabel]

Ysabel's hands shook violently as adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She had never hurt anyone before, heal yes, hurt absolutely not. But this was to save him and she felt justified to protect themselves. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She opened her eyes slowly and made eye contact with the man. Never breaking eye contact she raised the metal bar above her head.

With a quick thrust she brought down the bar on the guards head. The bar rung with the hard impact. The guard's body tensed before he fell to his knees landing on the ground with a soft thud. Blood started to pour out of his head as he stared blankly ahead at him. She almost though he was a statue, frozen in the heat of battle. She shuddered and dropped the now bloody bar to the ground. It landed on the guard and rolled away.

She heard something funny, almost like an asthmatic old man after a marathon. It took her a minute to realize that it was her making those sounds. She was hyperventilating and guilt was creeping up on her. She never intended to kill him, she just wanted to knock him out for a while until they had made their escape. Her eyes roamed her surroundings until they landed on her savior.

Suddenly she threw herself at him wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. She started sobbing. Ysabel looked up at him with watery eyes. She couldn't express with words how grateful she was of his bravery and kindness.

“Thank you for saving me. I am forever indebted to you. May I know your name savior?” She asked wiping her tears from her eyes.

[Tawk]

Tawk heard a loud ringing sound and squinted his eyes open. The guard fell to his knees, and was as stiff as a board. Blood gushed out of his eyes and it was not long until his entire head was crimson. He looked up to the woman and stood up, dazed by the event that had occurred. The woman seemed like she was in shock - which was to be expected. He very much doubted that she had ever killed anyone before. His shirt had become damp with his own blood, still surging out of his arm.

The woman had started to pant and wheeze heavily. He took a step closer to her, clearing his throat and prepared to address her. After all, he had to comfort the poor thing. Suddenly, without warning the woman threw herself at Tawk and embraced him. He was surprised by the sentiment and expected her to still be in shock. Her affection made the otherwise bleak situation feel more warm and loving. He locked his healthy arm around her and whispered -"You did good.", trying to comfort her as she started to tear up. As the woman spoke to him with the thick Kontinese accent, Tawk couldn't help himself but to wrap his arm around her even tighter. He was mortified by the amount of corruption and evil this thing of innocence and purity had been exposed to.

-"Tawk. Tawk is my name.", he said with a deep and gravelly voice before releasing her from his embrace, -"There's no need to thank me ma'am. I did what any other man should have.", Tawk added quietly. It was of course a lie that just any other man would have done such a thing - this was Sunberth, but at the same time he felt awkward accepting this much gratitude. He took a step backwards. -"Now, what do we do with the boy -..?" he asked, communicating with body language that he wanted to know the woman's name.

[Ysabel]

Ysabel smiled at her savior. Tawk. She let the name roll around in her mind before she brought herself back to the present. She held her hand out assuming that it was his tradition to touch hands. She had seen foreigners 'shake hands' before but she had never returned the sentiment.

“I am Ysabel.” She said her accent becoming extremely thick as she said her name. She smiled at him then turned her head to look at the hidden boy. She thought for a moment. What would she do? She turned back to Tawk. She sighed silently.

“I don't know really. First thing's first though we need to get some food in him. He won't make it anywhere if he doesn't get energy. Then I will do what can to tend to his wounds.” She said looking over her shoulder at the boy. When she turned back to Tawk she saw for the first time his wounds. He eyes widened and she moved her hand as if to touch it but just stopping to hover over the gash. She turned his hand carefully to get a better look.

“I will try to heal you too.” She said looking around for anything that she could use. She thought she heard voices but then realized it was a drunk man and a lady friend coming out from a night of drinking at the bar across the street. None the less she began getting paranoid. She looked at Tawk with worried eyes.

“We need to leave. Do you know of any hiding places?”

[Tawk]

Tawk extended his hand and they shook. There was quite some contrast between them, his skin rough, tanned and damaged but hers ivory white and soft. Tawk smiled uncontrollably when he heard the name, he just adored the accent. Tawk let go of her hand as she looked over to the boy, his gaze shifting from jovial to grim and wary. The boy's fate very much depended on the actions of Tawk and Ysabel. He looked back at Ysabel, while grazing his chin.

Tawk went down on his knees and dust shot up around him. He threw his backpack on the floor and opened it. He reached down with his hand and searched for anything the boy could eat. His hands met with a rough and stale loaf of bread. Tawk examined the loaf, it did not have any mold on it. It would be fine for the boy to eat. -"This will do for the boy.", he said, albeit half-mindedly. He wanted to search for more food, even though the hunk of bread was quite large, it probably wouldn't be enough to sate his appetite.

As he stood up, Ysabel moved closer to him, she had noticed Tawk's wound. He waited until she had finished her examination. Tawk nodded at her notion of having to heal, before turning quickly and aggressively to the drunkard and the woman. They probably hadn't noticed them, but Tawk peered at them like a hawk. They couldn't afford another confrontation, not in their state.

Tawk shook his head to Ysabel. He had only recently arrived to the city. -"I remember distinctively that the Pig's Foot doesn't serve rooms. The Drunken Fish might, but I don't feel like going up against lecherous and filthy sailors tonight. I have a horse and a tent. I could set it up for us.", hoping he could help at this state. After all, he was the local.

[Archelon]

"Fools." a raspy voice from the cages spoke as it seemed to come from nowhere the pair could discern. "All alone, on a bridge where the cages hang above the river, guarded by daggerhands, never knowing when their next patrol will come by and yet here you are still debating what to do... Indeed you waste the precious time to escape to help some poor fool. Tell me: are you both that stupid?" Tawk and Ysabel would wonder for a moment if their ears had heard that right... but it was impossible. The only other thing in the cages were the rotting dead and skeletons. Such a thing would be impossible to speak, or perhaps it was a ghost? Could a ghost haunt this place as surely as anywhere else people died? As if to confirm that suspicion the guardsmen's keys would rise up into the air as if on their own. Held by some indeterminable force before they ventured back closer to the hanging cages. There, next the one with a corpse the key to the latch was turned and slowly a cage door was opened. The raspy voice came again, "I had hoped to slip out in all the confusion you two made, or perhaps take the keys from the sleeping guard myself. Shame it wasn't the main guy in charge of this place... he should have torn you in two like all the rest of the useless meat." But where was this voice coming from? Unblinking a corpse's undead eyes turned its neck to watch them both. "If you wish I'm sure I could take the boy from you... besides you'll soon have other things to concern yourselves with." One bony finger stretched out towards the darkness of the park where several torches seemed to be getting closer. "The next patrol is on its way so I'm forced to ask if both of you would you kindly consider getting out of my way?" For only a second, the two would reel in shock as they realized just what was talking to them... a nuit had been in that cage. Waiting , watching, and now it seemed for some reason it had chosen to awaken as two legs, almost rotting from the sunlight came down to rest upon the stone and metalwork of the bridge...

[Ysabel]

Ysabel nodded. She would have loved something more concealable but a tent would do for now. They just would have to keep moving to avoid getting caught. “That will have to do for now.” Ysabel said to Tawk.

Then came that voice. That awful, cold, bone chilling voice. She turned back towards the cages to see the nuit corpse speaking. She felt cold when his voiced drifted to the two. She stood there stunned for a few moment. He-he was supposed to be dead wasn’t he? He was dead when she was first put in her cage. Ysabel couldn’t understand what was happening. When the corpse suggested taking the boy she suddenly became animated.

“No you’re not taking him. You can’t.” She shook her head violently. She wanted to run to the boy and protect him from the monster. She looked to the ominous flames as they grew brighter as the patrol got closer and closer. Ysabel gripped Tawk’s good arm and tugged.

“We have to get out of here. Now.” She said. She ran over to the boy whispering for him to hold on to her. He gripped her arm weakly and she picked him up and quickly brought him near Tawk where she waited for him so they could make their escape.

“We won’t be able to take them on Tawk. It’s now or never.” She said looking towards the dense forest.

[Tawk]

Tawk was ready to get moving with Ysabel and the boy. The silence was torn by a chilling and ancient voice. Tawk tensed up and slowly turned, a key was suspended in the air. Tawk rubbed his eyes in disbelief as the key slid into the latch. It was as Tawk had feared. The skeleton, coated in lumps of rotten flesh stared directly at Tawk. A violent shudder shot down his spine. He remembered bits and bobs of what people had told him about the Nuits - always go for the head. He gripped his sword tightly but did not unsheathe it, worried that the Nuit would strike. -"You will not take him, foul beast.", Tawk muttered coldly, staring the abomination straight in the empty eye-sockets.

Tawk felt Ysabel pull on his arm and then heard her dart off to the boy. Tawk's gaze flickered between the growingly bright torches in the distance and the Nuit. He couldn't hear anything. He did not think anything. He felt they had no chance. He loosened his grip on the sword as a thousand thoughts fluttered about in his mind. The three of them had such a trifling and minuscule chance. He felt powerless, utterly powerless.

Ysabel's voice woke Tawk up.

Now or never... now or never.

TAWK. NOW OR NEVER!

He turned and ran to Ysabel. -"Now, now we run.", he said commandingly and pointed at the forest, telling Ysabel to lead. He would guard the rear in case of any guard or the Nuit would give them chase.

[Archelon]

"Fools. You're as prejudiced as the rest of your fleshling kind. Why... If I were I not indisposed on my return journey to the isle I would laugh as you walk to your doom. Instead I will simply say it's hopeless to go that way..." Indeed to get to the forests that lay on the northern or southern edge of the city they would have to circle around through daggerhand territory to get even a chance at the slums. Indeed the very thought of things, limited their chances of escape. It would gesture behind itself, back towards the cages it seemed, or rather... below them. "The river might work... if you wish to jump. I know I surely will." With the words spoken the nuit leaned up against the railing... and then let its corpse splash down into the waters below. Suffice to say, being on a bridge and wasting precious time to escape was not a good thing, for aside from the patrol coming from the park in the streets they'd have to pass other daggerhands walking the streets as more torches could begin to be seen in a number of directions. Life was full of hard choices and sacrifices... especially in Sunberth. Would the pair even know what they might have to do to survive? Or would they surprise themselves being more 'noble' then the majority of their peers who factored their own lives were worth far more then a stranger's? Why was Tawk pressed so hard anyway to save this woman? This she devil of a konti? She couldn't provide anything for him in the future... could not bear his young, or assist him in his endeavors? Was he infatuated? Was not Ysabel merely dead weight to him... right? Could circumstances force them to turn on one another? Indeed the nuit would have chuckled if it could down amidst the fetid waters as it waited to see if the fleshlings would survive and escape the coming net. It really didn't mind whatever they did though, all would be amusing to it...

[Ysabel]

Ysabel gulped. The river. She had to admit it was probably their only chance of escaping. To let the waves cover up their trace. The nuit was right. The nuit was smart. But what are the chances? She asked herself. With the boy, how could she be sure that he wasn't taken by the waves? Or make sure she wasn't separated from Tawk.

Maybe it was a trick. Maybe the nuit wanted them both dead. Either way she was unsure of what way to go. Still holding the boy she let out a cry of confusion. Her head swiveled around helplessly trying to decide what direction all the while the torch wielding guards were getting closer and closer by the second.

“Tawk.” She let out one more desperate cry before flinging herself over the bridge, moving herself mid-air so that she and the boy would land feet first in the water she only hoped that the river was deeper than it seemed.

The two plundged into the cold water and quickly resurfaced. Ysabel sputtered and coughed up water. She gripped onto the boy for dear life and him her as they continued down stream. Her snow white hair stuck to the side of her cheeks now damp. She wanted to call out to Tawk again but she was afraid that would give them away. The guards were getting awfully close now and she prayed that he would jump in with her. But then again she hoped he would run away from the river and continue his life in Sunberth. Whatever his reason for being here is.

[Tawk]

Tawk stared in disbelief at the Nuit. Every instinct in his body shouted that this was a trap, and even if it wasn't, he was in no condition to swim with his arm injured. Tawk felt more confident in sneaking through hostile territory than jumping in to the river. He grunted when the Nuit threw itself in the river and disappeared into the murky depths below.

Tawk stared at the black, tar-like river. He glanced back towards the guards, and Tawk had began to pick up individual words. They were coming, and to make matters worse, Tawk could see pockets of torches appearing from other directions. Tawk could maybe sneak out of here, but Ysabel and the boy were in no condition. Tawk gulped and looked at Ysabel. Not a second after had she thrown herself into the river, not before crying out Tawk!.

Tawk cursed under his breath. If he would not go into the river, the Nuit might take them both. He pondered if he should do it, after all, hadn't he done enough? Wasn't he the one standing there with blood spurting out of his arm? He shook his head, of course he hadn't done enough. He shrugged half-heartedly and ran to the banks of the river. He stared into it. Where was she? He sighed with relief when he noticed a speck of white, contrasting with the blackness of the river. He dived into the freezing river, and the current heaved him away. Tawk hoped desperately that the guards hadn't noticed the trio.