Hello everybody. I have a very special surprise cooked up for you. For your reading pleasure, I present the newest segment in the renewed Urist saga.
Urist followed Fischer down the hall, as he read a scroll. Urist was keeping up a running commentary at Fischer, "This doesn't make any sense. Twelve soldiers total, until a month ago, when Paintbrushturkey began his reign, and then there's at least thirty! That's patently ridiculous. The equipment lists Splint gave me yesterday indicate that there is simply no way you could equip that many militiadwarves in so short a time. What, are they running around in leather?" Urist shook his head ruefully, "I frankly don't believe you."
Fischer turned the corner, and Urist realized he was at the entrance to the Spawn Research Center. The screeching was much louder here. Fischer stopped, and looked at Urist finally, "You can't come down here. Its off limits."
Urist looked at her, somewhat confused, "Excuse me? I've been down here probably four or five times before. Why wouldn't I be allowed here now?"
"You're just not. Go away, Urist. Bother Draignean for awhile. I've got important matters to tend to." Fischer said. She turned brusquely and slammed the door shut behind her. The click of a lock sounded immediately after.
Urist started to do as she'd said, but was still confused. Why wouldn't he be allowed into the SRC? All that was down there was cells, a few Spawn, and Draignean's chambers. Maybe some secret militia planning in Draignean's room? Urist shook his head, and resolved to return later in the day.
---
That night, or so the shift drums suggested, Urist crept down the deserted hallway to the SRC, hugging the wall. He didn't bother trying to cover up the noise he made walking, no one would notice with the spawn shrieking constantly. He opened the door, now unlocked, and slipped through. Draignean's door was open, and he could hear Draignean preening in front of the mirror to himself, "This suit is simply magnificient. How do you do it, Draignean?" The smug voice echoed down the hallway gently. Urist dashed past the door quietly, and continued down the hallway. All the cells that were unused remained open, except for the few at the end.
Except...
Except one extra cell was closed. Urist felt he had found what was being hidden from him.
Urist crept up to the cell door, and peered through from a cautious distance. Inside, some crude furniture had been set up. On a rough slab, next to an equally rough chair, was a pile of rags. Urist crinkled his nose. No dwarf deserved to be in a prison like this, surely. Their crime must have been unimaginable. He picked up a pebble from the floor, and tossed it.
It plunked off the ragged shirt, and the pile jerked about until Urist saw a familiar face peering at him.
...he slammed against the wall heavily. He swam back through the fog to consciousness, shaking his head, and feeling a touch on his face. A beautiful face was inches from his, concern and fright in her eyes. "Are you hurt?" He shook his head and started to reply when Sarvesh dashed in front of the spawn, and buried his hammer deep into its side. The concerned female shrank out of Urist's sight, as he focused on the spawn as it killed Sarvesh.
The spawn bore down on Urist, and he struggled to sit upright. Suddenly, he heard a female voice scream a wordless battlecry, and he saw that beautiful female tackle the spawn. It fell heavily on the embedded hammer, crushing its own heart with its weight.
The female looked back at Urist, and he nodded at her. She seemed to glow with appreciation...
Urist jerked as if struck. "My god. It's you!" He forgot himself, and said it a bit louder than he intended.
The female blushed, "Well, I'd hope I'm me, but I'm not so sure these days."
Urist shook his head, "You saved me. From a spawn. You tackled a spawn. You were completely unarmed."
She shrugged, "I... Yes, I guess I did. I just had to save you."
Urist looked at the portcullis, "Why are you in here?" She teared up a bit and shook her head. As she did, Urist spotted pointed ears poking through the ratty hair. He was quietly surprised by this, but he didn't want to accuse her of anything rashly.
She said, "I know too much."
Urist set his jaw grimly, "About what? What could you possibly know too much about that would give someone the right to put you in this hellhole?"
"Mr Frog's plans, I guess. Or maybe Spearbreakers itself." She shrugged again.
Urist thought long and hard about this. Finally, grimly, he said, "Well, I don't care. No one deserves this. I'm going to get you out of here. I owe you that much at least. Give me a few hours, and I will get you out of here. But first, what is your name?"
She smiled, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "I'm V... I mean Vanya. I'm Vanya." Suddenly, her face twisted in fear, as if she expected him to spit on her, and she covered her ears.
Urist shook his head, "I don't care what kind of ears you have. You saved my life. Being an elf doesn't change that." He heard a rustle down the hall from Draignean's room, and he turned back to Vanya one more time, "Wait for me. I will return soon." He then ducked into the cell across the hall, flattening himself against the wall next to the door.
Urist heard Draignean walking briskly down the hall, then heard him say, "Who were you talking to? Were you talking to me?" Vanya murmured something too low for Urist to hear, and Draignean scoffed, "Well, I don't care what you were praying about. Be quiet. I can hardly hear myself talk over the spawn as it is, I don't need you adding to the thunderous din in here." Booted footsteps receded down the hallway.
Urist rolled his eyes at the theatric quality of Draignean's voice, and spotted something interesting.
The feeding chute in the ceiling.
---
Later that night, and true to his word, Urist returned to the SRC. This time though, he carried a couple extra items, and he went into the feeding chamber instead of the hallway proper. He crept past the grates til he reached the one he wanted. He lifted the heavy metal grate, gently setting it against the wall with a tink. Inside the cell below him, Vanya was sitting on her bed, staring at the door fixedly. Urist uncoiled the rope wrapped around his body, and dropped it in. Vanya jumped back, obviously startled, but quickly started climbing the rope.
She was light, incredibly so. Urist easily held the rope steady even with her weight on it. When she got to his level and off the rope, he dropped the rope and handed her a hooded cloak. She looked at it somewhat curiously, until he said, "It'll hide your ears for now. Its raining above, so no one will question it." Vanya nodded, and Urist set the grate back into its housing. They slipped unnoticed out of the feeding area, and into the workshops area.
Neither Urist nor Vanya spotted the preternaturally quiet, very still dwarf leaning crouched in the shadows. Terrahex watched them leave, then swiftly jogged down to Draignean's room.
---
Urist and Vanya made it out of the workshops level before the alarm was sounded. Loud, heavy drumbeats echoed through the fortress like a giant's heartbeat. Suddenly soldiers were rushing toward the living quarters. A couple of soldiers passed within arms reach of Urist and Vanya, not glancing at the odd pair. Urist grabbed Vanya by the hand and started pulling her, faster. They reached an alcove, and ducked inside for a moment. Urist said, "I had planned to get you to the caravan, but they'll be expecting that. We have to go down."
Vanya shuddered, and nearly whimpered, "I am afraid of the depths."
Urist sighed ruefully, "We have no choice. We must go." Vanya nodded slowly, her eyes squeezed shut tightly. She opened them reluctantly as Urist gently pulled her with him, out of the alcove.
Down they went. They only made it a few levels down before Vanya spotted a squad of soldiers moving up the stairs, checking ears of passing dwarves. She tugged at Urist, and he nodded. They slipped down the hallway into the living quarters, and around the corner. Around the corner after that, Urist collided heavily with another soldier.
This dwarf was tall, but not unusually so like Mr Frog. He was muscular and broad-bodied. He had a long flowing beard and short cut hair. He looked at Urist blankly, and said, "I'll ask ya to not touch me without permission, tha- Wait, is that the fuggita- the fugitt- the runner?!" He pointed at Vanya as he said the last, his apparently slow mind working hard to process the sudden turn of events.
Urist panicked and let go of Vanya. He punched the other dwarf square in the nose as hard as he could. The big fellow rocked back, stunned by the attack. Urist followed up with a rough shove, that sent the dwarf stepping back a couple of steps.
Vanya screamed as Urist pressed his attack, and Urist nearly turned to make sure no other soldiers had appeared behind them. That moment of distraction cost him dearly, as the soldier regained his equilibrium and went on the attack. Urist threw another punch, but the soldier leaned a bit, and it sailed past his head. The soldier's muscular arm wrapped around Urist's wrist like a vise, and the soldier pounded a heavy punch into Urist's flank, knocking the wind out of him. Urist headbutted, and connected with the soldier's nose again.
The soldier growled, "Quit hittin me there!" As he punched Urist in the guts again. Then the soldier twisted, locking Urist's arm and taking Urist off balance. The soldier shifted one leg, and threw Urist to the ground easily, and started punching him in the face.
Vanya dashed in, grabbing the burly soldier's arm as it lifted for another vicious punch. He turned, and she said, with tears in her eyes, "Please... Please stop!" The soldier's hateful mask of a face relaxed back into blissful blankness, and he let go of Urist.
Vanya was dumbstruck at the change of heart. The soldier had a abashed look on his face, and said, "I'm sorry, missus. I din't mean to be upsettin' a ladyfolk like you. I just... He hit me first... And my training took over... I din't... I'm sorry."
Vanya helped Urist stand, and Urist said, "I thought you were going to arrest us."
The soldier's eyes went bulged, "Arrest you? I just wanted to ask why she was a fugig- A runnin' away. I don't think I've heard of anybody stealing anything or anything. I just figurt you made Splint angry. He gets angry a lot. He goes through so many mugs."
Urist shook his head, "What she did isn't important. We have to hide, someone will have heard that scuffle."
The soldier nodded, "Let's go into my room, right here. I'll keep watch."
Urist and Vanya scurried into the small room, and the big dwarf stood inside the door, watching the hallway for signs of life. Vanya turned to Urist and said, "I wish I was as brave as you. Fighting spawn, breaking me out of confinement, attacking an armored soldier with your bare hands. You've... You're so brave. I wish I wasn't afraid, like you."
Urist smiled lopsidedly, "Oh, I was very afraid. I thought that spawn was going to eat me, or that that big fellow was going to demolish me."
Vanya's awed look faltered, "You are afraid? But... But you attacked him! You fought..."
Urist shook his head, "Just because I was afraid doesn't mean I'm weak. That's what being brave is, doing something courageous, even when you're scared. Especially when you're scared. I'd be a fool to not be scared."
Vanya started to speak, but the big soldier turned and hustled them through the adjoining room, murmuring, "They're a comin'! Come on, let's get ya'll out of here quicklike."
They burst out the other side into a corridor. Urist turned to Vanya after checking to make sure the coast was clear, "Don't let your fears rule you. We will get you out of here. I promise." Vanya didn't speak, but she did something brave. She leaned up on her tiptoes, and kissed Urist on the lips, lightning quick.
Urist rocked back on his heels, stunned and confused. Vanya turned bright red, and pulled the hood down over her face roughly, obviously embarassed. Before they could speak about it though, a shout at the end of the hall forced their hand, "Found them! Fischer! I found them!"
The trio started running. Down the stairs they went, past the inhabited levels, into the old mining sectors. After gaining a slight lead on the armed, armored, and more importantly, encumbered soldiers, the three stopped at an oddly placed lever. The big soldier had a grim look in his eye, and he said, "I want you two to go down until you see a fresh carved hallway. Run through it as fast as you can. I'm staying here. Meet up with me in the old malachite vein."
Vanya said, "Before we go, what is your name? Why are you helping us?"
The soldier smiled gently, "I'm Hans. And you seem like a nice lady. No nice lady deserves to be imprisoned." He waved them away, "Go on. Run through that hallway. Don't stop." The sound of approaching soldiers was getting louder, once again forcing their course of action.
Urist and Vanya sprinted through the hallway, past the weak supports. Once through, they heard a commotion at the entrance. Urist turned, and saw a squad of soldiers file onto the balcony in front of the hallway. As they did, a rumble was heard, growing louder and louder. The spindly supports collapsed suddenly, and the whole hallway crashed shut with all the finality uncountable tons of earth could muster.
Vanya shrieked, sure the earth was going to swallow them up next, but as the dust clear, she saw they were just barely out of the danger zone.
Safe.
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2278856 times)