The Story Teller The Story Teller NPC's and Environment - PM me member is offline
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A Passage to Hope... « Thread Started on Oct 16, 2007, 2:53pm »
The sun had long gone down, the temperature had dropped, but still, a lonely bard traveled the street, following the direction she thought that a farm hand had been going, though she had long ago lost any sign of movement in the dark.
As she walked, she noticed the fog shrouded buildings seemed to be getting fancier, more modern and richer looking. The lamps became a little more frequent and she would come to realise that she had entered a part of town for the wealthier members of the society, at least, it would have been before the Dark Lord and his men took over.
Ahead of her she hears voices, through the fog she can see moving torches, flames, piles of something that only looks like one things, something enough to send shivers through a persons spine.
The castle walls become visible behind the flames as they dance, and for the first time Tipherale can realise how close she is to the castle.
Tipherale Warriors A Selfless Bard member is offline
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #1 on Oct 17, 2007, 2:08am »
Tiperale walked ahead, aware of the flurry of heartbeats from tiny Kyon, nestled in the special inner pocket she'd sewed into her coat for him. She looked up at the lamps, slowing her pace when she realized what that and the fancier buildings meant.
She didn't hear the voices and saw the flames until she was too close, and she caught the scent of something that she wasn't sure but smelled like burning flesh. She remembered overhearing her father talking about a fire that had killed a friend of his, despite him trying to save the man.
"Let me tell you something, Jeb, the smell is what I remember most. It's indescribable, but you will always recognize it, even if you never smelled it before or will again. Horrible."
She looked up just beyond the firey pile and saw the wall of the castle. She stopped dead in her tracks, she had no idea she'd walked this far already. It must have been that her mind was so busy with everything that had happened tonight. She accidentaly inhaled a bit of the smoke as the wind was blowing, and she tried hard to muffle a cough with her hand. It was the most acrid smell she'd ever inhaled.
She looked up sharply, trying to see if anyone heard her. Her throat still ached but she dared not cough again. She started to back up slowly, to find a way away from the castle. This was no place for a little bard to be.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #2 on Oct 23, 2007, 7:28am »
The figures ahead turned and looked towards the darkness and squinted, one lifted his torch and took a few steps forward. "Should I go check it out?" He asked looking back to his partner. "Could be trouble." The other man nodded and pushed his partner forward, a little worry creasing his face.
The man held the torch before him and stepped towards the cough, it had only been a hint of a cough over the sound of the flames, but, it had been one that was obvious enough.
Stepping backward, Tipherale would come to feel the thick and heavy rounded brick of an old well. The bucket was a considerably sized one, the chain that lowered the bucket was old and rusty, as was the mechanism that turned the gears.
The light from the torch and the flaming bodies shone slightly into the well and looking down, one would be able to see a small brick sticking out, maybe a meter down. The brick's quality is questionable, but, not far below it there is another one, hidden by the firsts shadow.
The man with the torch saw a shadow move. "Oi! You there, show yourself!" He called gruffly, shining the torch quickly towards the shadow.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #3 on Oct 25, 2007, 2:03am »
Tipherale's eyes widened in panic. They had heard her!
She bit her lip, backing up another step and bumped against something. Turning she saw it was a well. She peered down the street in the direction she was about to run and saw nowhere else to hide. She knew there were more than one coming to inspect the coughing sound and chances were she couldn't outrun them.
She saw the brick jutting out and hoped it was big enough to hold her foot, and strong enough to support her. She felt Kyon stirring and quietly shushed him as she swung her legs over the side and stepped down to the first brick. Just then the man spoke and raised his torch, he must of been close enough to see her move.
She held back a fearful gasp and remained silent other than her breath. She looked down, now just able to make out another brick sticking out. Crossing her fingers, she slipped below the edge of the well and found the next step down with her foot, putting all her weight on it out of urgency to not be seen.
She held her breath, her only thought being. Please.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #4 on Oct 26, 2007, 5:41pm »
The man thought he saw some movement in his torchlight, and frowned as he stepped closer a little faster. He saw the cold looking bricks that walled the well and looked on the edge for fingers.
He saw none. He looked at the bucket and the handle and its gears, looking for the sign of movement, and took another step towards the well.
The step under Tipherale's foot seemed to start to wobble slightly under her weight. The light from the torch was getting closer, and bouncing faintly down the walls of the well. Another step was revealed by the dim light of the flame, and it became clear, that she was standing on the step of a staircase.
"I think there's someone over here." He called out to his partner, and footsteps could be heard coming closer to the well. The light grew with the second pair of the footsteps, and another step became visible to the bard's eye.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #5 on Oct 31, 2007, 2:06am »
Tipherale thanked whatever spirits were watching over her that she'd gotten down before the soldiers had seen her. Her heart sank though when she heard them speaking and coming closer. She looked down in a panic and saw the next step. Easger to get off the wobbly one and escape the soldier's eyes, she took it, feeling nealry sick with the panic that came. "Shhh." She said to Kyon, making it almost too quiet for anyone to hear except her and the bird.
Downward she crept, the darkness providing both sanctuary and dread. She knew what happened to those who ran from the Dark Lord's soldiers, but also what happened when you didn't. She knew she had to escape, either fate could be death or worse.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #6 on Nov 8, 2007, 2:59pm »
As Tipherale's foot rested on the next step, it moved out slightly. There was a heavy sound of rock moving, and the wall beside her started to shake slightly.
In the dim light shining from the torches, the bard would be able to see the wall slowly sliding down to reveal a darkened hole in the well. The moving wall was a rectangular shape. As it lowered the bard could see that the wall was actually a door-like shape. It stopped halfway, leaving a dark rectangular hole in the wall.
The men outside heard something and frowned. "Did you hear that?" One asked the other. "Sounded like trouble." The other answered, he looked around the surface, his mind abandoning the well. "I doubt anyone would be in the well." He said. "There's no fingers hanging on, and we'd have heard a splash at least if they jumped."
The low rumbling stopped and the first man continued to look puzzled. "Yea. You're right." He held his torch up higher and looked around the area around the well, trees and bushes bordered the area, the castle walls behind them, and the city of Coimhlion opposite the walls. "Let's go. Just keep a weather eye..." The second gruff voice said, and the light faded to just one torch as he walked back to the burning bodies.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #7 on Nov 13, 2007, 12:59pm »
As the step shook and the wall moved, Tiperale wasn't looking anywhere. She was clenching her teeth, and closing her eyes, preparing for the impending fall. Tiperale listened to the guards, holding her breath in fear. She let it out very quietly in relief when her ruse seemed to be working. She glanced down, spotting the door. It surprised her that she didn't plummet. Luck seemed on her side for once.
She took another step down after considering a moment. Up was not a direction she dared go right now. They could still catch her that way.
She peered into the doorway, making sure it was clear before she stepped into it. She then started to walk into the darkness, Kyon peeping slightly in protest. "Shhh we aren't safe yet friend."
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #8 on Dec 1, 2007, 11:15pm »
The tunnel was not lit. It was maybe, 6ft high though and maybe 3 or 4 ft wide, it was clearly built for passge into and out of somewhere. There were once torches that burned in the passge, many decades ago when it was used, but now, the torches are extinguished.
The ground is still soft dirt, the walls though have been paved with something hard. Nothing is visible to anyone but for more darkness. As soon as the bard stepped inside the tunnel, the door started to rumble shut. There was the sound of water dripping somewhere near the door and the tunnel smelled slightly damp.
The tunnel slowly sank, as if she was walking down a hill, the hill was not a tall one, certainly it was a slow descent, but one that walkers would notice. After the descent was a long winding path.
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Re: A Passage to Hope... « Reply #9 on Dec 2, 2007, 10:36am »
Tipherale nearly jumped out of her skin as the door closed down behind her, trapping her in the tunnel. Kyon did squawk, and wiggled his way out of her pocket and onto her shoulder. He definently didn't enjoy the lack of light, and all the movement when they were supposed to be sleeping.
She tried hard to see something in the blackness, but failed. So instead she went by feel, she could sense the ground slope down under her feet and she let her fingers trail the wall. She came to the end of the slope and found the path went on. She couldn't be sure, but she thought this might be going towards the castle instead of away from it.
Shivering slightly in the helplessness she felt at that, she pressed on, listening for signs of life and searching with eyes already starved for light.
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