EVENT - THE BLACK CITY

[faileas]

Event Log: August, The Black City

A STARLESS SKY You feel like you're floating. Around you, colors and sounds and smells swirl as if trapped in a whirlpool, vibrancy and hue ever shifting. The more you watch them, the less solid they are; they only become clear out of the corner of your eye. The area around you begins to feel more solid as well, until your feet are on the ground, the taste of smog and fog heavy in your lungs - and you know one thing, and one thing alone: this is a dream, and an incredibly realistic one at that. Unlike the last time this shared dream happened, only familiar faces of your fellow mirrorbound appear around you; and unlike the last time that flavor of dream happened, those native to the city of Aefenglom are nowhere to be found. Instead, an impossibly tall wall raises in front of you; along it run small windows with people peering from the edges, arrows shimmering with the tell-tale glitter of magic peeking from the darkness, with more figures standing guard or patrolling the top of it. The wall itself is made of a dark, onyx-like stone - it's reflective in the smoothness of its bricks, painting all who look into it in clear darkness, and the effect is similarly found in the wide moat that surrounds the city, the faint sound of a river feeding into it the only thing to hear in the tense silence. Only one massive door stands as the entrance to the city, chains hanging across it with the protective runes of a barrier some of you might be familiar with by now. With a groan the chains begin to pull away, the door lowering across the moat as a bridge, and a party of Witches - for they must be Witches, the pins on their cloaks the same as those found in the Coven in Aefenglom - urges the group inside. Monsters find it easier to obey the orders - compelled to, even - but perhaps that's the safety of the city calling out to you, and nothing more.

I. THE CITY ITSELF While Aefenglom is known for its dusk-hued skies, made of lustrous pinks and purples and blues, this city is dreary to the core. The streets are covered in a perpetual fog, not unlike the city you hail from, but thicker, denser, tinged with the flavor of industrial smog from the factories whose spires you can see in the distance. Magitech lights - lanterns above doors, street posts, flickering in the windows you pass - illuminate everything throughout the entire day, as if the sunshine can't reach through the foreboding fog nor the onyx walls. Even the windows are barred, offering a paranoid protection against the outside world. Doors seem hardier, and each building is reinforced and protected in a way that may feel familiar to those that have encountered the protective magic wards. They're heavier, leaving an almost ominous presence that causes unease to hang just as heavy in the air as the smog. The people of this city are just as dreary as the streets, though they do mill about with the same frequency as any city. Unlike the citizens of the dead Aefenglom that were encountered just the month before, however, these are real, living people. They can be spoken to. They can be touched. They interact with wariness and caution towards the strangers that have been heralded into their walled in world, especially those that show what they presume to be monstrous traits. Because it becomes quickly obvious that the majority of the citizens that answer a call, a question, a touch to gain their attention... They're human. a. OBEY AND SUBMIT Monsters that can be seen on the streets aren't few and far between, however. Their presence is subtle, in the fog and amidst the passing crowds of passing faces, but they're there. On a surface level, most of them seem to be fairly at ease. Passive and unfazed by anyone that tries to interact with them, as if they're disinterested by their mere presence in a way that isn't reflected by their human counterparts. A closer look shows a strained pinch to their faces, a tenseness to their bodies, a glazed look just at the surface of their eyes. Too many attempts to interact with them will cause some humans to emerge from shops, or ask that you leave their business; these are the ones that are... employed, most often seen in the shopping and industrial districts. But their movements are almost robotic in repetition, and they never speak to anyone even when addressed - even when a keen eye might take note of the sturdy leather collars around their necks, reinforced by metal and with visible places to attach a leash. Some in the industrial district can be seen with these leashes, powerful chains to keep them attached to carts, to keep them from swimming down the river, from flying away and out of the black walls of the city. All Monsters present in the city are clothed, though it's the ones on the clearly decorative leashes with the more delicate collars that are the best dressed. They accompany humans throughout the city, the same placid blankness present much like their busier counterparts. These are the aristocrats and their so-called "Bonded," though implying the same tone one would take in Aefenglom here will net a deep set of disgust. Attempting to rouse these Monsters does very little, and may even result in them jerking away and cowering behind their human company. b. GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE At one end of the city is a massive pavilion, one made of the same stone as the wall, giving off the same oppressive foreboding. Humans come and go from this peculiar town square with a casual air, an intent the same as a stroll through the stalls on the market street. Because that's, essentially, what they're doing. Monsters young and old put on display to show their abilities and strengths, tasks that range from the physically demanding to performances of artistic abilities. Some seem to be just at the surface of awareness, their glazed expressions refocusing at times with a sort of strained fear that's visible even at a glance. Many don't even react outside of doing the tasks they're ordered to do, going through the motions as a barker speaks at length about them, their abilities, how much their labor goes for and what they cost. These Monsters are purchased by the humans of the city at each display, many of them never wearing more than their basic clothes and the customary collar, a chain to keep them tied to their station with a generous enough reach. Most come and go with very little struggle, but some... it becomes obvious that they've broken through the surface and are coming up for air for the first time in a long time. Wooden posts where the chains are connected can be heard splintering with the force of their struggle, metal bending under pressure, the anxious energy of something about to happen. But the fights never last long, as attendants wearing Coven pins on their cloaks swoop in to attend to the situation - and many dreamers might notice a familiar Witch filtering in and out of the events, speaking to the auctioneers before departing for another selling. It's difficult to recall their face later, no matter how clearly one saw it before, but one thing is certain: while not necessarily prim and proper, this person is someone with a steel spine and a sharp eye. And they saw you, just the same as you saw them. c. AT BECK AND CALL With enough observation, or perhaps even experience, it becomes apparently how this is happening: any command or order issued to a Monster is taken to the most literal, and Monsters have no choice but to obey. Many Monsters employed as workers are so deep in the compulsion that they won't obey any additional commands, unless it comes from the person they have this most warped "Bond" with. Others will accept commands from anyone, even the mirrorbound Witches that have come into their city. Even the most asinine command is one that they'd obey, and one that maybe even you'll obey, too. Having a friend playfully tell them to shut up? They're forced into silence until told that they can speak again. Told to jump off a bridge? Best make sure you specify that you don't want them to jump off of a very high one, if you really want them gone that badly. Handstands, cartwheels, jumping jacks - but also, hurting someone, hurting themselves... one has to hope the Monster in question has a strong willpower, or it's a command that goes against one that's already been issued to them. But something of note is that mirrorbound Monsters of Aefenglom will find that they're also effected by this, though they're better able to fight the compulsion. Those with weaker constitutions may need help snapping out of the command, especially as a powerful command will be painful to fight against, and Witches will have to watch their words. Take care that your friends, your peers, the strangers you've arrived with, don't find themselves attending the auction block - it's a very real possibility in this place, with an unknown Monster unattended and uncollared. It should all be harmless, though. After all, this is only a dream... isn't it? No NPCs are available for this log - unlike with the midsummer dream, they're nowhere to be seen. No Nessie, no Mhairi, no one. Which means that there's no one to counsel them as they find themselves exploring the setting, and discovering that they're just as susceptible as the people in the dream...

II. THE COVEN Unlike with Aefenglom, there isn't a proper Parliament. A little investigation will lead to the discovery that the Coven of this city is the main governing body, which may explain a great deal about why there's such a massive presence of magic here. Located at the center of town - all roads lead to the Coven, a massive stone building with sharp looking spires - the grounds are notable in that there's nothing even remotely similar to the Looking-Glass House that everyone has come to know, despite its secrets. Should one gain entry to the main building of the Coven itself, they'll find that all the mirrors are within. Their main focuses of magic, rather than the more broad spectrum/free-to-study policy that Miss Nessie encourages, are enchantment and abjuration - for control, primarily. They're also heavy studiers of runes, visible across the city and with an even heavier influence in the wards of the Coven itself. They are, regardless, fairly welcoming to eager young minds wanting to learn. So long as the Monsters are left behind. But who's to say that you can't disguise a Monster? a. STUDY TIME Those curious about the Coven's library are welcome to investigate it for themselves, the Witches all smiling faces as they usher their visitors in. But they'll soon find that they aren't really left to their own devices; a member of this Coven branch is practically around every corner, and while they try to be subtle about their observation it becomes quickly obvious that they're not there for their own studies. They're stationed around the library to ensure that their guests don't make off with any of their resources, or try to get into any forbidden sections of the expansive library. Where the Coven library of Aefenglom - as well as the Undermael College's library - plays devil's advocate, with accounts and studies conducted from both sides of the anti-Monster sentiment and attempt to expand upon outdated knowledge... these ones have a decidedly anti-Monster lean in every regard. Any attempts to find otherwise will be met with bemused amusement by the Coven members, and a note that they don't carry such things here. After all, they're certainly not Aefenglom. They would never carry anything that could put their citizens at risk in such a way. Nevermind those horrid Bonds that Bell goes on and on about - it's no wonder that they're always at odds with their government. If only they'd wisen up, hm? Perhaps these new arrivals would like to transfer to their branch, instead, to better guarantee their growth. b. THROUGH THESE HALLS If one manages to slip away from the library without having somebody tailing them, they'll soon discover that the chilled atmosphere doesn't simply linger in the city itself. The halls are cold, the runes unwelcoming unlike the homey feel that Nerissa Bell's charms offer. Certainly home isn't perfect - and there's no denying that the sentiment is shared by many - but the smiling faces of the Black City's branch are at odds with the feel of their magic, the caged in weight pressing down on everything, including your shoulders. The halls are dimly lit by flickering lights, enchanted lanterns with a constantly burning yellow-white fire. Plenty of nooks and dark corners afford even large Monsters the ability to sneak through the halls, should they be snuck in for better investigation with their peers. Take care, however; there are Witches coming and going constantly. An empty room might lead to a study, a classroom, a bedroom. Locked doors don't yield easily, even in a dream, and may need to be abandoned. But a terrible, foreboding feeling emanates from large double doors that are rigidly locked. Hushed voices speak from the other side, and it's almost like the cold feeling that spreads throughout the Coven itself finds its source behind those doors. Periodically, sounds of pain escape from within - but they die out to whimpers, then silence, before they can ever get too loud. A crisp voice speaks only one word, clear even through the wood and the magic: "Again."

III. THE DARK UNDERBELLY There's always more to a city than the streets that you can see at the surface level. If you're looking, it's not hard to spot the signs. There are runes that mark walls and cobblestone streets like graffiti, and a studied eye might realize that they're not the same sort that have subjugated the more monstrously inclined of the Black City. These are intended to dispel magic, and the moment that a member of the Coven notices it - it's swept up as soon as possible, scrubbed clean or scorched off with magic. People take to the streets in small groups, standing their ground and raising their voices above the muffled din of a foggy city. They carry chains and collars that have been broken, but many of them are undeniably human as they confront something that has so obviously become the norm. Break the chains! they demand. Break the spell! Monsters go missing from the auctions with a well-placed distraction - perhaps you're one of the individuals being freed from the pavilion, or someone that's realized that there are people coming and going through the crowds, wearing the same cloaks as the Coven but without their iconic pins, dressed as aristocracy, from all walks of life... smuggling the Monsters away at the first chance. a. PARTY TO PROTEST Not every uprising can be swept under the rug at first sign, however. Witches take to the streets, looking surprised to see the mirrorbound arrivals from Aefenglom - and it's not the same wariness that most would give them. This is the calculating eye of someone assessing whether the person they've met will help or hinder, and some of them decided that you're to be help. Enchanted slips of paper are pushed into hands, runes are taught as quickly as possible in a hushed whisper and explanation, locations given out to Witch and Monster alike with a word of caution. Use the paper on a surface, any surface, and you'll see. Use the runes to break the compulsion - you might have to do it twice, thrice, however many times it takes to dispel the magic. Don't be caught. Using the enchantment as instructed - pressing the paper against a wall, the ground, a post, anything - will result in glowing runes overtaking the surface. It's the same as the runes that are taught to Witches, used to ward against the magic in place just as much as it is to create a statement of protest. If one goes to a location that is whispered to them, they'll find that they've joined an organized protest. It's small in size, a mixture of Witches and unleashed Monsters. Due to the size and frequency it's easy enough to find them, but the guards are very quick in putting them down or hiding any traces of them from the public eye, despite the protesters' best attempts. There's nothing amiss in the city, and nothing for citizens to worry about. b. REST AND REGROUP But they can't find every source of the resistance. It isn't hard for dreamgoers to find themselves swept up by these protesters. Any help is welcome, and those that show an inclination towards helping the Monsters of the city - or their Monsters that they know, regardless people that shouldn't suffer this way - will be taken into the fold. Entrances to their secret routes can be found in places that are hidden in plain sight. A storefront tended to by a Monster with eyes in sharp clarity when they look up from their robotic work welcomes a group of people in and behind the counter, to where a hatch door is hidden in the floor. A manhole cover is pried up, where people are smuggled down below. A portal is prepared, a different and darker destination on the other side. They all lead to the same location. The sewers are vast beneath this city. Much like the labyrinth that many faced in the Midsummer nightmare, it almost seems winding, endless, and the water is cold when it's crossed. But even with the stank of the runoff, the musty and moldy air, there's never the sense of dread, of death. Instead, there are signs of when you're going the right way - runes that shimmer only when looking at them out of the corner of your eye, or when you know what to look for. Three stars together - sometimes overlapping, sometimes circling each other, but always three, and always five points. While they appreciate the help, the mirrorbound aren't invited in by the revolutionaries to the main hideout. But it becomes obvious by charm bracelets, necklaces, piercings, tattoos, embroidery and stitching on shirts; this symbol, and its presence, is integral to their world beneath the city. But many are welcome to mingle throughout their circle. In the sewers, the shops, the small park where a rune gives secret announcements to those who know where to look for it on the third bench, even the homes of people that certainly don't look like revolutionaries, let alone anyone that would be a protector.

Welcome to the Black City! As a reminder, this takes place on August 18th - or rather, 3AM on the August 19th, much like the midsummer nightmare. If you have any questions or need any clarifications, you can ask them here! And as always, while we do encourage you to use this log, you can feel free to thread things out on your own log or elsewhere. Characters are allowed to try and start fights in the city, create prompts based on the information given instead of using the ones given exactly, and poke their noses where they don't belong - we encourage it, actually. But regardless of what you choose, we hope you have a good time!

And as a final parting note: If a character dies in the dream, they'll simply reappear at the beginning rather than waking up like normal.

Comments

[long_live_the_queen]

[The woman stepped closer, and Kaede wanted to recoil from the movement. Her ears had gone quite stiff, like a deer at nervous alertness even now.

But this was her Bonded. She could feel it tugging her heart with a warm and insistent touch, the way nothing else could—not even the words, slow as they were to filter through a feral mind. This was safe, this was home.

The Chimera crawled forward another step, and—nothing happened. No new sounds, nothing to take fright of—the strange-but-familiar turnskin hadn't budged, and wasn't a threat. Not yet. But there was still one implicit in those claws, that strength, that visage of something predatory part of the Chimera's mind wanted nothing to do with. Kaede's slow advance stopped and she looked at Fang warily, tail swishing in an unsettled motion.

But her suspicions were lessened this time. The only things that hurt her here were far more human in appearance. With a low hiss, the Chimera finally pulled herself into the light, laying her state bare.

The clothes she'd been wearing were stained with soot and torn in places, the tethers binding her wings wrenched loose but many of the feathers cut or pulled out. One chain had been torn away from her long wrist, but the other still dragged heavily against the ground. Her hair was a tangled, matted mess of unbrushed strands and crumpled feather—and worst of all of them, her antlers had been sawed off entirely, leaving cleanly cut stumps behind.

It was the last one that shattered the last fragile tethers of reason in her mind. Even now, barely half a person stared out of Kaede's eyes, fogged as they were with a slow-dying anger.

But the beast didn't know what a Bond was. Kaede did, and it was Kaede forcing her fear-numbed limbs to move until she was within a human's arm reach from Ursula.

Whoever had taken Kaede's antlers must have had assistance. They'd likely be back soon enough.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang's tail twitched, the first motion to break her stillness since catching Chariot. Kaede had always had a skittish quality to her since Fang met her, that first night day they all stumbled out of the mirrors, before the instincts set in. Even in the face of their Bonded's comfort, she looked on the edge of flight.]

[But the miserable sight of her—Fang couldn't keep from reacting, even if it was that one tai lash. A thrum of bitter fury ran through her heart, distant to her currently muted emotions—but strong enough to push against her compulsive calm, prompting a twinge of pain.]

[Fang was still grateful for that order. Kaede's tormented visage probably would have set her off raving and snarling again, otherwise.]

[The turnskin's eyes flickered to the corpse, wondering what order events had happened since Fang broke the chimera out of her cage. Careful to keep her movements smooth and calm, Fang rose to her feet, cautiously wandering out to the front of the store. Night was falling, and it wouldn't be unusual for the shop to close up, she thought. Making sure there were no pedestrians in view of the windows, she flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed", and began shuttering the windows.]

[Chariot was better suited for comfort than she was.]

[beariot]

[ In contrast to Fang, despite how much she wanted to give in to the pain and despair of seeing Kaede in that shape, how much it broke her heart, Chairot kept the warmth that was drawing Kaede back to her within the bond, letting it temper like a fireplace, inviting the girl in to her arms if she chose to do so. Her smile still had a tremendous sadness behind it, and tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't pull her gaze away, or flinch, as much as she might have wanted to. ]

It's okay... it's okay...

[long_live_the_queen]

[Movement caught Kaede's gaze again and the Chimera froze, lowering herself to the ground and her feathers bristling up in equal, conflicting measures. But Fang wasn't moving towards her, and the cold stab of fear soon faded from her mind.

She looked back to Ursula again, maddened eyes meeting anguished ones. And...Kaede blinked, the fear and directionless anger in her mind wavering.

Were those tears for her?

How...strange.

The Chimera could only growl now, but she did so softly; the croon of a beast made for other things. But she could do something that wasn't killing.

She rose at last, enough to slip a long arm under Ursula's and curl it around the Witch's back. The limb was so grotesquely stretched in the dream that the claws curled around Ursula's shoulder instead of settling against her back like Kaede wanted. But energy flowed through her limbs at the touch, fear-numbed nerves coming alive again and warmth flooding to her fingertips. Fresh air, for someone who'd forgotten what it was like to breathe.

Kaede settled her head on Ursula's empty shoulder, letting out a relieved sigh. This was safe. This was home. The horrors of the nightmare around them faded to distant shadows, and the tension and pain in her mind began to drain away at last.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[The jaguar's ears swiveled around at the crooning growl, but... it wasn't an alarming sound. She didn't need to hurry.]

[After the front of the store was secured, Fang returned to the back, glancing over at Kaede. Her ears flattened a little as she wandered over to the back door, the best this form could do to express sorrow; the chimera still had her antlers, the last time Fang had seen her.]

[Poor kid. What happened, in those missing hours? She secured the rear entrance, then made her way to the bloody corpse and began prying open the crates. One of these had to be empty. No sense in leaving him out in the open.]

[beariot]

I've got you... and I won't let anything else hurt you. I promise... [ Chariot's voice shook as she tried to fight back sobbing, pinching her eyes closed as she held Kaede even closer to her, arms trembling but somehow still finding the strength, mostly through the bond, to put her warmth and sincerity into that ethereal connection between them, to surround Kaede with it, to make it like a blanket, and most likely also a shield.

She didn't miss what Fang was doing but she opted to not look at it. She didn't want to. She didn't want any reminders of the horror around them breaking past the aura she was creating for Kaede. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede murmured a little when she was pulled close, a sound more like air being squeezed out of something. But it didn't trouble her. Ursula's arms folding around her was a comfort, not a prison. And the Bond filled the emptiness in Kaede's mind with a comfort that soothed away the insensate animal rage to soft-edged relief and calm.

She could hear Ursula's words as proper words now, not just burbling sounds she needed to obey. The Chimera nestled closer to her, letting the magic she'd missed course through her system and the endless warmth of her Bonded sooth her thoughts until she forgot she ached. Forgot her torn wings, forgot the broken horns—and remembered that she was a person. She was a person, not something for Voices to command. When Kaede's eyes blinked open next, they were almost as clear as when the dream began.

But the nightmare wasn't so easily deterred.

Something—someone slammed into the front door of the shop, doorknob rattling. Whoever it was hadn't expected the door to be locked, and had run right into it. With a muffled curse, they started banging on the door.]

"Oy! Cliff, what the 'ell?"

[beariot]

[ Chariot's expression shifted almost instantly, eyes narrowing, darting between the door and Fang's current position, her focus becoming as sharp as either of her beastly bonded could be in that moment, gesturing for Fang to watch the door as she reached to pull out her wand, giving it a flick towards her own throat...

And 'Cliff' called back, at least someone who'd sound at least a little like him, based on the vague memories of the voice she could find within the bond with Kaede. She kept her other arm holding Kaede close, knowing hearing this voice would be... unpleasant, at best for her, but she needed to keep her grounded, reminded that it was Ursula with her, and not 'Cliff' ]

"Feck off... 'm not in the mood... 'm closed can't ye read the damn sign!" [ She slurred her words intentionally, making him sound as intoxicated as she could manage. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang straightened suddenly the moment before the bang at the door, the clap of a boot on stone at the edge of her hearing. She wheeled around, quietly dropping the body back to the floor. She'd felt the shift in Chariot through the Bond, too, keen eyes flicking over to watch the Witch.]

[Ah. Fang reached up to unclip the leash dangling from her collar, wrapping it around her hand to keep it from dragging, and padded out into the darkened storefront as silently as a ghost. She pressed up against the wall beside the door, waiting.]

[Her dark fur would do her favors in the dim light, and she didn't fear the commands of the natives with her Bonded so close; the compulsions from others felt so distant. Should the man somehow make it through that door, Fang intended to slam it behind him the moment he was through, ready to muffle him.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The sound of knocking made Kaede snap to attention too, though it took her longer to pull herself out of the contented haze her mind was swaddled in. She hissed, a low, teakettle sound—one the man didn't seem to hear through the door. Her feathers bristled up like hackles and her other arm curled around Ursula protectively, wings forming an imperfect shield around her Bonded.

The sound of the dead man's voice made her jerk, claws tightening on Ursula's shoulder as she snapped her head towards the mangled body. She heard his voice elsewhere—from Ursula—but still had to be sure. He was dead as she left him, and Kaede turned back to stare at Ursula, ears pinned flat and a curl of dread winding into the Bond. Oh, she remembered him. Remembered him, his stupid saw, and the visceral satisfaction of a skull cracking beneath her hands.]

"What?" [The second man sounded baffled.] "I dropped off the damn things for you, y'think this is funny?"

[He added a boot to the equation, kicking at the door. Its construction was solid but its bolts less so, from the rattling.]

"My coat's in there, you bastard. Open the door!"

[beariot]

"You'll have it tomorrow. Leave me be!" [ Ursula shouted back at the door, putting more aggression into her tone.

She didn't think this was working... She held her wand ready, body tense despite trying to keep Kaede calm, expecting at any moment she'd need to cast a silencing spell on him, the same one that had panicked Caren. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede heard what should have been an Order, but the sounds fell against her mind like broken leaves. Pointless, useless dead things. She didn't budge, still curled around Ursula, still hissing.

The coworker of Cliff's didn't answer, just kicked at the door again. And again—and the cheap bolt finally sprang loose. There were only humans to worry about in this city—at least, there should have been.

He stormed into the storefront, but the shuttered windows cast it all into dark. He squinted and cursed in the gloom, his eyes slow to adjust.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Her hand immediately clamped over his mouth and nose, and her other arm clamping around his throat. Fang pushed the door closed with her hip—it settled slightly ajar, the catch in the doorframe broken as well as the bolt.]

[Fang almost felt a flicker of pity for how woefully unprepared this man was up against a turnskin's strength without the safety of his compulsions. Instead, as she rapidly denied him both blood and air, she muttered taunting with almost a sing-song tone.]

Goodnight.

[beariot]

[ Chariot was quick to flick her wand towards the man as well, combining the silencing spell, a web of silky magical threads mapping over the man's mouth beneath Fang's hand, and a sleep spell to rush him along to unconsciousness, her incantations for both kept at a whisper so as to make certain he didn't hear her voice. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[When the man burst through the door, Kaede's feathers redoubled their efforts, bristling out until there seemed to be twice as much Monster underneath. Her teeth snapped together, a frustrated and threatening sound driven by a violent desire to tear his throat out.

But she didn't get the chance to. The shadow that was Fang uncurled from the wall and choked him with the very tethers this place so loved. Between the turnskin bearing down on him and Ursula's spells, he crumpled like a disjointed doll with a stifled noise of protest.

This time, Kaede's growl rumbled from her chest like a cruel chuckle. The disappointment faded from the Bond—mostly. His heart was still beating, she could hear it. She wanted to throttle it into stillness—but then she'd have to let go of Ursula. That, Kaede couldn't do.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang lowered the man cautiously, holding on for several more moments to make sure he's out. When he fails to move, Fang rounded to the front door, forcing it back into the damaged doorjamb. Once closed again, she dragged a display table to bar it.]

[beariot]

[ With the door barred and the threat neutralized, Chariot put her wand away again and used her now free hand to help gather up Kaede, having surprising strength despite not showing it very often, lifting the chimera without much trouble. ]

We need to get out of here. Quickly, quietly. Fang, can you find our way into the sublevels of the city?

[ She'd heard, whispers at most, that it was a safe place... ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera made a rumbly chirrup sort of noise when she was lifted, startled out of her growling. Her feathers deflated from their bristling posture by almost half, though they were still raised on principle. She looked up at Ursula with a quiet, quizzical blink. Words were still slow in her mind. But every moment was getting faster.

These were human thoughts. Kaede could think human things again, though her voice was still a harsh mockery of what it should be.]

...tunnels? [That was what Ursula meant, right?] Know...I, know those.

[They were in a distant place, an older memory of the same dream. But she remembered the dusty dark where there were no guards, no spears, no chains.

The Chimera laid her head back against Ursula's shoulder.]

Safe place.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang's brow pinched. The sub-levels? Tunnels? Did they mean the sewers? There hadn't been any of the city's natives down there when Fang had passed through, but she didn't see how it was safer than anywhere else.]

[But Kaede's gnarled voice drew her attention. If they seemed sure, she'd trust them.]

Think so. [She dropped to a quadrupedal stance again, her eyes lingering on the unconscious man's form, wondering if he'd been the one to remove Kaede's antlers. But the thread of maliciousness passed quickly, and Fang padded to the back door, straining her hearing for threats before poking her head out.]

[She was exhausted. She hurt. Focusing on distant sounds and unique scents was becoming difficult... but the sight of the weary chimera curling against Chariot's shoulder bolstered her resolve. No more harm would come to that kid.]

This way. [Fang skulked out into the alleyway when it was clear, following the sewer-stench to the nearest storm grate, periodically glancing over her shoulder at the others. She still had enough strength left to lift the grate, Fang thought.]