Rifts:"Freedom Run"
Chapter one " A gathering of Failures. "
The last of them was dragged into darkness. The warrior had struggled and spat his forehead a sea of parasite born scars. The thief had begged and schemed. This last one lay limp, broken before she arrived.
The jailor lumbered up the hall running between the cells with her limp form over his shoulder. His hulking form was twisted by magic's unknown.
Carefully he turned his unearthly yellow eyes on the two other cells as he walked past. The dwarf was still hanging by his arms a foot off the ground covered in blood from the last round of beatings. He definitely snarled as the jailor passed.
"Squid lapdog I get out of here I'll have your head."
The jailor bared his yellow teeth sharp as knives. He raised his staff, an unearthly thing of black magic with an oversized worm floating in a clear sphere on top. The worm flickered just a moment and the dwarf recoiled in agony.
"Ahhh!"
The Jailor half snarled like a beast not naturally given to speech as he passed.
"The forge isn't with you any longer Shatter-Shield. High value cargo gets where it's going. You wont get free. You won't die under my care. Except it or live in agony."
The scream cut off after a long moment and a soft feminine voice came from the other cell.
"Fool always causes trouble. Some of us know when we are beaten. Some of us know when to be more ... compliant."
The jailor looked at her nearly as tall as he was. She had delicate elvin features, long hair the color of spun gold, pale skin naked despite the cold. He leaned in close without crossing the invisible line into her cell. She didn't blink or recoil when he did so. Not even when he spoke and his fretted breath hit her.
" Not another word from you or I'll have one of my parasites on you and you can wait out the time till the master has you in your own filth."
She lowered her head, blowing meekly and stood back. The jailor walked on to the next cell vacant and dark. He placed the newcomer inside and left. The cell sprang to life as he did. Wards in a thousand languages from almost as many worlds crackled with power preventing escape.
The dwarfs' voices whispered across the void without any words actually being spoken somehow defying the magics normally preventing such things.
" Did you need to lower yourself like that Ellowyn?"
Her reply was indignant as it was silent.
" Uther for a chance to get out of here or at least give that beast a burn in an interesting place I'd do it twice. Also I get a gold star for not being hung from a wall for a third straight day. "
The voice that wasn't a voice turned to a growl.
"Elvin bitch."
Her voice was still pleasant despite the circumstances.
"No need to be rude. Just looking for my opening, the same as you Uther. Different weapons that's all. Since I'm officially out of ideas, maybe you have a new one?"
The dwarf sounded tired.
"No Ellowyn, no I do not."
The last one opened her eyes. Just the one eye actually, the other was swollen shut. Her head was swimming with the memories of battle lost, and a world on fire. Most of all she remembered who fell with her. Hot tears rolled down her face. She didn't utter a word, she just lay there for a long minute, and then remembered the strong clear voice of a man now gone.
" Well Gwendolyn, you're going to need to ask yourself, am I going to let this lay, or am I going to get back on the horse? "
The sick snapping sound of her father's neck breaking under a traitor's boot heel would never leave her, she knew that. She hoped what he taught her would last as long.
She reached up with her off hand and pulled a gawdie gold cat mask away to brush away her tears. Looking around she was in darkness. It was cold, and her body hurt all over. There were sounds around her like distant machines. The place smelled sterile like a hospital.
"They were carrying people off. I'm on that ship the one that appeared at the nexus on the mesa. Ok Gwen, you have a little energy, make it work for you."
She wasn't restrained, but she was hardly a threat in her condition. Slipping into an old familiar trance she reached out with her power, feelling the world around her with arcane eyes. There was magic here more than she'd ever known to exist in anyone place before. As the cold chill worked its way up her spine, she knew that she was in darkness in more ways than one. Gwen spoke coldly, her voice echoing off metal walls.
"In the belly of the beast. Tara, if I ever see you again I swear you are dead!"
She called the power to her, and sent it out to her broken body. As long minutes passed, and the power began its work. The bones in her right wrist popped back into place. The swelling in her knee slowly started going down. Her eye was still swollen shut, the power spent. She barked out in anger.
"Dammit!"
She tried to sit up but her head started spinning and she lay there for a long minute. Once the spinning had slowed and her anger dimmed for the moment she got to work. Her belt was intact and the pouches on it were still tied shut. Reaching for one the fingers on her right hand was swollen and numb didn't cooperate. Her left worked well enough and she pulled a cell terminal in a large heavy plastic case. Finally there was light.
Using the light to look around the room she saw it's dull grey walls. There were chains on the walls runic script on every surface and oddly enough no door.
"Oh yea this place is magiced to hell and back. No need for a door with this stuff. You could hold a Fomorian, or a demon with runes like this."
Working slowly she moved to a sitting position. She didn't dare stand the pain in her left leg made that clear. Working her way to the wall she put her back to it facing the door and removed more from her belt pouch. She tapped her terminal. The default background image maked her heart break. Her father was the last man on Hibernia you'd expect to deal with the supernatural things most people just ignore. Her cousin Kirby and that magic sword he found that changed both their lives. She spoke into the terminal, knowing deep down no one but her would ever hear it.
"Kirby if you ever find this it was Altara. I know you like her but she betrayed us. She had to know I'd dream about the invasion and was waiting for me. Bitch killed my dad."
Her voice shook and her one good hand slammed the floor beside her. A sharp bang echoed outward. The dent shed made went unnoticed by her at least.
"That blind bitch just stomped on his neck and he fucking died. Everything we've been through and that's how it ended. God, Kirby I swear I'm going to kill your girlfriend. If I ever see her again . . . I don't know if I'll ever see you again or Ethan. Why am I even recording this?"
She turned the terminal off and tried to sleep in darkness.
No, like the other one, she had no idea I was listening. The one that did, did not care to mention it.
The jailer thumped up the hallway. The sound of his monstrous voice echoed through the walls.
"None for you till you behave. Maybe you pray to the forge and you get to eat maybe?"
Someone roared and then screamed in pain. When the screaming died down a soft female voice spoke loud and clearly.
"Thank you great one."
Gwendolyn pulled herself to her feet only to have pain shot up her right leg as she fell over. The floor vibrated as her face slammed into the cold metal. Without thinking she raised her one good hand and tried to call a spell but nothing happened. Gwen muttered.
"I'm still spent."
She lowered her hand. The jailer came into view nearly seven feet of uneven muscle hunched over. It paused at the door and Gwen felt a spike in magic as the wards at the doorway lowered. The beast growled as much as spoke.
"Listen girl and listen well. It's my job to get you where we are going alive. My masters don't care about how many pieces you get there in as long as you're alive. Cause no problems you'll get fead. Cause problems and you won't be. Cause problems after that you get pain. Understand girl?"
Gwen lowered her head. The jailer placed a medium sized bronze bowel on the floor and backed out of the room. The wards snapped into place like iron around her soul and Gwen rolled into a ball on the floor.
Next "Bad Dreams"