Lisa walked down the street as the wind howled from the alleyways carrying the stale scent of piss and shit along it’s gales. Lisa looked down just in time to avoid stepping in scat. She realized it coated the sidewalks. They couldn’t even be bothered to go inside to shit…even as slaves we had more decency, if we could. She looked out on the downward slope of one of the city's many vert streets that ran from the inner flood gates surrounding the castle down to the Great Collection’s outer walls. Lisa looked back up at the royal fortress sitting upon its elevated perch at the heart of everything the mortal races held dear.
She looked back and forth at the inner and outer walls, it was only an hour's walk to either. If all the nobility had left, what would be the chance of the remaining guards just letting them into the castle? Lisa found herself stepping toward the castle, but stopped noticing light shining through the window of their home. Lisa smiled picturing Pa with his face pressed against the window looking out for her. Her eyes glanced upward at the castle and it’s massive walls.
Gritting her teeth knowing they would likely be killed for trying to enter, their kind didn’t belong up there. Lisa turned around walking down the sloped vert street toward her goal. She hopped onto the street, careful to avoid the heavy connected chains of the city's intricate pulley system that rested within the carved grooves of the streets. She walked along the street's center, giving herself as much distance from the lock-tracks that rested near the edges of the road.
Too often she had seen someone step into the heavy hooked chains and lose a leg or two. Fifteen minutes went by as she walked past the yellowish stone shops and homes she had visited many times, but now they all sat dark. Doors stood open, and curtains flapped through broken windows, it was as if the city had died while she slept. Lisa hurried toward the upcoming intersection that signaled she was a quarter of the way to her destination. Looking down the inclined vertical road, she saw much of the same, homes that no longer housed life, and streets that lay barron minus the bits of floating debris and the few people staggering around like zombies, like they had nothing to live for. Disgusting, you all made the choice to stay and now you act like you have nothing to fight for. If you're gonna waste your last few days wallowing in your misery…why not go fight on the outer wall. At least then you will be useful.
Lisa stepped off to the east making her way to the Commons District. She walked for fifteen minutes before the stone gate to the district appeared. Fifty feet high, constructed of grey stone, bearing ripped banners of the seven clans, the gate felt more like a warning than a checkpoint. Lisa looked around at the empty tables near the entrance, four empty windows along the gate's surface, and at the dark mouth of the gate’s entrance, expecting to see the soldiers that normally guarded the passageway between the districts. She slowed her pace, unsure if they were ordered to attack on sight. “Hello?” She called out.
Waiting on a response, Lisa found herself rubbing her index finger against her thumbnail. A tick that had developed which saved her from many beatings during her service for Master Pike. A noble with a peculiar temper for punctuality. She looked through the gate at the other side, couldn’t be more than twenty paces to get through it, but she found herself checking over and over again, hoping for some guards to appear. She rubbed her thumbnail ten times, ten seconds before she had to move. She approached the entrance, and with each step air pushed through the opening, whistling a soft warning that stung her nose with a familiar scent. A scent that caused her jaw to clench, hating the fact she knew exactly what it was. She trod carefully, her fingertips rubbing against the smooth cloth at her waist, feeling the dagger’s blade hidden underneath. Cursing to herself that she had been so stupid as to call out. Lisa took one last deep breath then stepped inside the opening. She looked right at the stone staircase consumed by shadows, and snapped her head to the left. She jumped back, slamming against the hard wall.
In the tucked away corner of the small staging area was a heap of bodies, stripped down to their underwear.
Her heart jumped into her throat and she sidestepped along the wall towards the other side of the gate. Her eyes landed on the necks of those who weren’t decapitated. A lion head, a rhino horn, or the silhouette of a panther, were tattooed above the seven pointed star of the Great Collection. Great Collection Soldiers!? Lisa sprinted from the gate toward and didn’t stop till she was two blocks into the Commons District.
Sweat poured down Lisa’s face, her lungs on fire, and she couldn’t take in enough air. She thanked the great Mortal Soul that she’d taken time to steady herself before leaving. Several minutes passed before she felt that she could walk again without feeling like she would keel over. Lisa shoved her hands off her knees and looked around, finding herself staring off in the direction of home then back at the gate. What if Ma and Pa knew those soldiers or served with their parents? She wanted to go back for their identification sigils, so their souls may rest in the hands of a fellow veteran. A final honor till they could be buried, if they would be buried at all. Her father and Ma would want her...
Lisa jumped to the sounds of screams in the not so far distance. She bolted up the nearest vert street leading up toward the center of the city, putting some distance in between her and the screams. She passed by townhouse after townhouse, some three stories, but most were two.
Her legs were still sore from earlier, but she sped up her pace anyway remembering what Pa said about how people left in the city were acting. As if on cue, she entered into the intersection, coming face to face with an Orc in armor leading a chained gang of people void of any clothing. She saw the look in their eyes; that same defeated look she once had wore that told her exactly what the orc was. But what was more important, who was he working for? Could Haval be here too? She turned her attention to the orc. He was a foot taller than her and his skin was the color of pale moss and his eyes reminded her of her old soul mate’s, stone grey, except the slaver’s were cold as the chains around the slaves necks.
Her gaze drifted across the natural face plate of hardened skin on his forehead and around his eyes. She noticed his tribal grooves were carved flat and covered in scars. “You don’t see me?” Lisa suggested lightly.
He didn’t say anything but reached behind him pulling out a heavy one-handed hammer.
Lisa took off down the arc street ahead. Why slavers!? She heard heavy steps behind her, quickly approaching. She threw her head left and right, looking for something, anything to help her. She saw the looming presence almost upon her in her peripheral vision. Her lungs filled, despite being on fire. Her body gave it everything it could, her muscles burned, and her head throbbed. Knowing exactly what would happen if the orc caught her.
A hundred paces away, resting among a host of buildings with broken windows and defaced walls, she saw a clothing store with the front door slightly cracked open. Lisa sprinted toward it, her breath hot on her cheeks. Jumping up the three short steps, Lisa fumbled forward, slipping on the rug. She yelped as her butt cracked against the wooden floor. Scrambling to her feet, Lisa slammed the door and turned the lock. She saw him through the window, three shops away, wasting no time Lisa surveyed her surroundings. Several tables with clothes on them, a counter and a changing room in the back, and a cluster of circular rakes with clothes draping from them scattered around the shop.
Changing room! Lisa took off toward the back. The hairs on the back of her neck stood hearing a single crash at the door. She fought against her instincts and turned to see the orc at the window, his slender face twisted into a scowl and his pupils were pinpoints.
Lisa fell to the floor, out of sight of the window. Wiping the stinging sweat from her eyes with her shoulder, she crawled over toward the dressing room door, opened it and closed it. Her trick set, she looked around and saw there was no sign of a back room. Her hands and knees hurt against the shag rug that covered the wooden floor except for the small area around the door.
Leaving her ploy behind, she felt the burn against her knees as she crawled to a nearby circular rake. Bang! She jumped against the splintering sound of something crashing against the door. She felt the vibrations on her hand, and tasted the salt of her sweat on the corner of her mouth. She fumbled into the center of the clothing rake, splinters hit the ground and the door shrieked with each hit, all against the backdrop of her racing heart, thudding in her ears.
A fourth bang rang out then the muffled sound of something colliding with the floor. She carefully and slowly pulled out Faith’s dagger. She held it in both hands, pressing it against her chest. She tuned into sounds around her, soft padded steps prowled across the room. Her ears perked, rubbing against her sweat drenched hair to subtle sounds of breathing. It was soft and deliberate. It went from the door to the center of the room. She clenched her teeth and pushed the blade harder against her chest hoping that it would silence the thundering heartbeat ringing in her ears. She looked toward the door, not that she could see past the shadow covered rainbow of fine cotton clothes surrounding her. Knowing she couldn’t get captured, Ma and Pa needed her.
She took a deep breath and exhaled air from her nose. The footsteps stopped and she heard a thunderous bang from over near where the dressing room was. There was a moment of silence, Lisa felt her hands quiver. Should I go? She inched her foot toward the ring of clothing when a booming laughter came from the changing room.
The orc spoke, “Well...tricky little girl aren’t ya. Come on out now and it will be a lot less painful for you.”
Less painful? She knew better than that. His voice might have been soothing, but she remembered those cold grey eyes.
“No point in hiding,” His voice was getting closer, but moved toward the entrance. “Only so many places you can be.” A series of bangs rang out from across the store followed by the droppings of what she suspected was wood hitting the floor. There were three heavy steps then, padded once more. She strained her ears trying to hear him. Across the store she heard a clatter of wood, followed by a gruff grunt.
Lisa repositioned herself onto one knee, facing the door. She didn’t know what was worse, knowing how close he was when he would move something, or the silence, but she knew she would have some chance at making it the door with him across the room.
Her heart leapt into her throat hearing something hit the floor, very close to her. Lisa felt the throbbing against her skin. “If I have to drag you out of this store, my friends will have to drag you to the supply district when I’m done!”
Friends! There are more?! She leaned back on her heel, no point in running. Please Mortal Soul, protect me, please, please, please, don’t let him find— Her heart stopped as she saw the clothes in front of her face shift to the right.
They were face to face, the orc smiled, “Found you.”
Without a thought, she shoved the dagger into his right eye. The hard bone of his faceplate around his cheeks and forehead stopped the blade halfway. She was on her feet, and dashing to the door. All the other clothing racks were turned over and she sprinted away from the blood-curdling scream. She jumped down the steps ready for the others, but there were only slaves, standing in a depressive trance, their metal lease affixed to one of the empty metal lighting poles next to the street. Half a block down, and out of breath, she looked down and saw her hands empty. The screams now an incomprehensible gargle of noises, radiated out from behind her.
She started to turn when she saw something that made her pause. Fifteen feet away in the alley to her right, she saw a cloaked man, surrounded by a darkness she had only seen in the silent rooms of one of her old masters. The man motioned for her to follow, before he faded into the living shadows.
Lisa knew something was off about the alleyway, but looking back, she saw the orc, blood pouring from his mangled eye-socket sprinting toward her, full tilt. She knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun him, she had seen proof of an orcs ability when in a blind fury many times. With a gulp, she dashed into the slightly shifting mists of blackness.
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