Falias, Finias Chapter Three
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- Sorrow's Child by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Six hours. Six fucking hours is how long Kazdan waited in the closet with the little sickly babe before H'earring and his kitchen slut came to free them. His voice gave out after three hours of singing to the moon-white babe. He switched to the regular tracks after that, letting other singers' voices do the serenading for him. But he kept holding the sickly baby, and hoping that the baby wouldn't need a diaper change in those hours. And in that regard, the universe sided with him.
When H'earring and the ogress finally opened the door, Kazdan was glowering at them. He is barely keeping his anger at bay, afraid to wake up the sleeping tot in his arms. Miraculously, he does not shove the baby into H'earring's tiny arms and curse the horny mutant rabbit.
"It took a while to find the Harpy lard." H'earring sheepishly states with his cheeks flushed emerald. Kazdan is unable to reply vocally, but he makes his displeasure known with his face. He's scowling at him like he did whenever he would think about Tom for long periods of time.
I can see that. Kazdan wishes he could grit out, but his voice feels overworked and scratchy. The ogress reaches and snatches the sleeping baby from his arms; he feels a perceptible loss in his arms. Oh, I've become attached to the babe? Or perhaps I pity him…no, I've become attached. He's the only Creature that has yet to screw me over. But there's still time.
"So…ready to see the rest of UnderWorld City?" Kazdan gives one final scathing look before nearly pushing H'earring out of his way. He's pissed at H'earring, at the ogress, at the baby's neglect, and at himself for setting his expectations so high. In the end, all of his anger drains out of him and he's left with hollow logic. This is the UnderWorld! Since when has a place with that kind of name ever meant filled with trustworthy individuals!
"Feisty, ain't he?" He hears the ogress slyly remark as Kazdan storms out of the kitchen. He walks without looking back or even surveying his surroundings. He does notice one change; it is darker outside, not exactly night but clearly not high noon. His eyes appreciate the almost-light darkness, but they unfortunately wander and examine what is hidden in the faux dark.
I should have not left without H'earring. He comes to realize as he looks down an alleyway; he sees trash and moldy bread with puddles of rust-colored water. He sees rats shoving their distorted noses into the garbage; chills go down his spine when he thinks he sees a rat gnawing on a finger with its yellowing, sharp teeth.
Oh wait, that's just a really moldy stick…I hope. Kazdan wisely decides to get away from the alleyway. He continues to walk the still unfamiliar streets of UnderWorld City. He makes sure to look as quickly as possible around fairly dimly streets; he fears getting stabbed by some thief in the shadows.
I should've just swallowed my anger and let H'earring show me around. Why…did I have to fly off the handle? Is this what I get for being Chaor, even if it was for a couple minutes, I get brave enough to express my anger? To be aggressive for a short moment, and then pay for it down the road? I'm not Chaor…I'm not strong. I'm weak. He considers porting out. He reaches into his pocket and he stiffens with horror.
OH FUCK! Kazdan immediately turns around and sprints back to Chaor's Castle. How the fuck could I forget my Scanner!? That's like forgetting radio static means monsters nearby in Silent Hill! He hopes that he left the Scanner on top of the box of rags and not accidently dropped it somewhere.
I swear to the universe that I will chain the damn thing to my neck if I get it back! He wonders how many players have died from this kind of oversight, from omitting their Scanner's location. Maybe this is how they weed out the weak players from the strong, or rather the stupid from the intelligent. I guess I'm stupid too.
He sees the familiar, guarded back gate and stops nearly four feet from the gate. Hold on, how am I going to get pass the guards? I'm not with H'earring! And they certainly won't let some unknown human through! And there's no way with my lack of strength can fight my way through! Plus, distracting them is out of the question because they look…alert and aren't stupid AIs that will move away if they hear a bottle being broken. What am I going to do?
He sees no other option but to wait. By now, H'earring must've left and gone home. He expects that H'earring must visit the castle every morning or so if his limited experience on the Creature is anything to go by. And he figures it must be better than wandering haphazardly around the city with night fast approaching. I doubt any UnderWorlder is willing to give a strange human any shelter for the night…but at least I won't be a feast for the rats. Tonight.
He takes a seat right by about six feet from the gate. He wants to believe that maybe the light of the lamppost might shield him from whatever….shadowy beings that like to roam the UnderWorld at night.
I wonder if the guards would react if I got eaten by some hellhound…probably not.
Kazdan does not immediately nod off like most bored teenagers do in fiction. No, he suffers from the inability to nap, especially in a place where he believes that he'll get eaten by rats if he closes his eyes for more than a blink. So he turns to the oldest tool at his disposal to distract him from boredom: mentally counting the seconds.
10,800. 10,801. 10,802. 10, 80—His counting is interrupted when he hears footfalls, almost like the clopping of a horse's hooves, coming from the right of him. He swivel his head to the right, tearing his attention from the motionless guards and from his numbers.
He sees her before she even notices him. Her skin is pale enough to look almost blue like she's suffering from hypothermia, even though it was hot enough to roast a marshmallow on some parts of the crumbling sidewalk. She has choppy, neon-red hair with pine-green eyes; her lips are violet-purple and she has really long, pointed ears like some kind of demonic elf. Her armor further adds to her demonic elf appearance; she is wearing a purple armored-dress with golden accents and a violet diadem. Woah, she's like the most human-looking Creature I've seen…in the UnderWorld. Not in the cards; I think that belongs to Lystone…if she wasn't a small fairy.
Finally, he sees her eyes narrow at him, clearly assessing if he's going try and rob her. As if I could! I'm about as muscular as a limp noodle! She walks towards him, completely assured of her own ability to take him on if necessary. Kazdan realizes that she may be his chance at getting his Scanner back. Now how do I get her attention without coming off as some kind of creep? He only has ten seconds to wonder before she comes near his little space below the street lamp.
"Uh, please, would you help me?" Kazdan quietly and submissively asks; his throat burns from sudden use. I should've drank some water… from that green puddle that looks like radioactive rat piss. Are there any clean sources of water here? Or do they have to drink like water-downed wine? Or maybe the UnderWorlders adapted to drinking filthy water given the pollution of…everything.
"A human asking nicely for help? Normally, your kind just pops in for a scan and disappear without a word. Well, those who just happen to know what stealth is. The clumsy ones typically get burned alive." She comments darkly, making Kazdan look away nervously. Okay, I guess I'm…not clumsy? I'm smart? Well, book-smart. Streets, not so much. I mean I know that I can't take on a Creature. And she clearly knows that too? Maybe she'll have pity on me?
"Um, I-I know that I'm not good at deception. I just…..want my Scanner back. H'earring took me to the kitchens earlier, but then he left me in….this closet while he f-fucked the ogress. I….found this really pale baby and took care of it until they let me out…..I left my Scanner in the closet." Kazdan brokenly rambles and stutters out. This time he made sure to look into her eyes so that she can know that he wasn't lying. She isn't glaring at me or saying my story is bullshit. That's good, right? Fuck, I can't tell! I mean humans and Creatures have some similarities like speaking English and I guess some etiquette…maybe music? Still though, I don't really know all the intricacies of the UnderWorld culture. For all I know, meekness may translate as a "Fuck you" to some UnderWorlders!
"That's not really new, except you and your Scanner. I guess the babe didn't sleep all day like my potion intended…he's resistant. And at least he wasn't alone all day again…" Didn't the ogress mention someone named Nivenna making a sleeping potion or something? So, she's Nivenna. Well…I guess she looks like a Nivenna. I'm not certain how they do names here and if names have meanings. At least in the UnderWorld. He notices that Nivenna has yet to give him an answer.
"I-I understand if you refuse…..I can wait for H'earring if I must." Fuck no, I don't want to wait in this creepy darkness any longer! And I'm really, really tired of sitting on this unforgiving pavement. He's also tired of feeling so….weak. He's literally craning his head upwards and she's literally looking down on him. I like the UnderWorlders because everyone looks down on them, especially the OverWorlders. In the game, the online one; I'm not certain about the ones in the PortCourt exactly. Most OverWorld players, online, acted like they were better than me…but then I beat them; I beat the so-called heroes! And none of this is really helping me right now…
"Wait here. I'll go get your Scanner." Kazdan feels excited flames fan across his body; he has to stop himself from hugging her in gratitude. She would totally kick my ass if I did that and I'd never get my Scanner back. And hugging…is kind of intimate. He waits eagerly, rocking himself back and forth like a rickety rocking chair. The guards let her pass without even questioning her; he presumes that Nivenna must be pretty high up in the chain-of-command. Probably not even close to Takinom's level, but still up there.
It takes her ten minutes to return; he sees his Scanner in her hand and he has to stop himself from running over to her. What stops him once again is logic and justified paranoia: the guards would probably shoot him dead if he ran towards her like some sort of crazed attacker. Even though I'm weaker than H'earring. Kazdan finally stands up when she's about a foot away from him. He holds out his hands for his Scanner, expecting her to just drop it in his hands and leave without a second thought to the human.
"In the UnderWorld, you don't get anything for free." His stomach drops and he pales at her words. Oh no, she's not going to give back my Scanner! What do I do? If I attack her and just take it back…yeah, that's not going to happen. Again, she could and would kick my ass. And probably kill me afterwards. So…I have to pay for my Scanner's return? With what? I don't have any money and she doesn't seem like the type to want something disgusting like pond scum. Am I to be her slave for an indefinite amount of time? Well, it would be short since I'm pretty certain I'd die of some kind of lung disease for "living" here for more than a year.
"Then how do I pay you?" Anger colors his words and steadies his raspy voice.
"Follow me." She orders firmly with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. I guess she doesn't expect anger from a groveling worm like me! I've got anger…but I've got to rein it in! That's how I got in trouble in the first place. He complies and follows behind her like some sort of meek stray wanting food.
This time Kazdan tries his best to memorize his way from the castle to wherever it is she is taking him. He sees the church with the stain-glasswork of Chaor's impressive visage, but they do not go down the street with the church. They go onwards and pass more shoddy buildings of scrap metal and cobblestones. They pass a place that looks a lot like a marketplace, but all the vendors have packed up for the night. He wonders if the vendors just sold weapons, or pieces of irons, or nearly-spoiled food.
Maybe someone sells stained glass or maybe some kind of UnderWorld flower…I really hope they don't sell slaves here. Or have any slaves…but I bet they have indentured servants which is a form of slavery. I doubt they have serfs here because the UnderWorld definitely doesn't look like a farm-friendly Location. They might have their own version of cattle…but not in the city. I think. Kazdan wishes there was some kind of textbook on the UnderWorld, preferably written in a language he can actually read. He hates not knowing the details of something magnificent like the UnderWorld.
They finally make a right turn on the street and enter a more finely-cobbled-together road, the cobblestones look almost freshly-polished in comparison to the dingy stones that Kazdan has seen before. The buildings around here look less like scrap-metal walls and tin roofs and more like medieval stone townhouses. However, the houses are clearly supported with stone beams rather than traditional wood.
I get this feeling that I just enter the district where the elites live if they can afford all of this stone. I mean their roofs are mostly wooden, but at least most of these houses look like they can withstand fire. I would imagine this city catches on fire probably like once a year if the shanty houses are anything to go by. He cannot help but let out a gasp when they reach the center of the elite district.
"This is Tartarus Theatre." She announces to him. Tartarus Theatre is nearly a fourth the size of Chaor's Castle, but it is only four stories high compared to the castle's ten stories. The building is rectangular with several red-bricked chimneys jutting from its sides. The building is composed of pale-red bricks with black granite arches for the doorways. There's also a staircase with peeling white paint on the left side of a building with its own little entrance booth.
"Wow!" Kazdan can only utter, while Nivenna muffles her snort. Well…..she's trying not to laugh at me. Then again, the only theater I've been to was the school auditorium and it's not even a fourth of this size! Plus, I didn't think…the dramatic arts would be a thing of the UnderWorld. Actually that would make a lot of sense. Considering how acting is a form of deception in itself. Nivenna goes to the little room with Kazdan trailing behind her.
Nivenna pulls the rusted latch up and the door opens. They slip inside and climb the staircase, then they go through another door. This time Kazdan finally sees what an UnderWorld auditorium looks like. The stage, made of stone that might be obsidian, is big enough to host about seven Chaors with room for a Maxxor. The floor is made up of cobblestones but they have less claw marks and dirt sticking to them; there are about eleven rows of stone benches where the front three rows actually have red cushions on them, while the rest are left like naked slabs. On the sides of the walls are boxes with far more ornate and comfortable seats for the particularly wealthy; there are about three boxes with about six individual chairs for each box.
I'm guessing the floor seats are the cheap seats and the boxes are pretty much for the wealthy merchants or Chaor's elite warriors…I think box six might be Chaor's if the massive-looking chair with a skinned…dragon rug is anything to go by. Kazdan wants to be in Chaor's box and sit in the very same seat that Chaor sat in if only to feel important like Chaor. But he knows very well that a mere human is never going to be allowed in Chaor's box. I couldn't even get into his throneroom today. He sighs inwardly.
"Wait here." Nivenna orders briefly and heads backstage. It takes nearly 240 seconds for her to reappear onstage; she has two five-gallon, copper-rusted buckets with two metal poles that have afro-sized sponges attach to them. I guess that's the UnderWorld version of cleaning supplies, or maybe just mopping. Damn, she's hauling those buckets without even breaking a sweat! I just feel out of breathe when I finish sweeping the kitchen. I need to work-out more. Nivenna hands him a bucket, which he has to hold on with both his hands, and slips one of the poles on top of his bucket.
"You can pay me back by mopping up the left half of this room, while I take the right." That seems…cheap. I mean these Scanners are nearly worth more than a new IPhone! And she knows about the "teleportation" feature to the Scanners, so shouldn't she be charging me with a king's ransom to get it back? Kazdan is suspicious of Nivenna's charity, but decides to follow her orders. Again.
They do not speak while they clean the auditorium's floor. And the stone benches. And the obsidian stage. By the end of it, Kazdan is certain that he's got a year's worth of workouts from the cleaning. But he did not complain and he mostly kept up with Nivenna's pace, even though she finished about 446 seconds ahead of him.
"May….I have my Scanner back?" Kazdan ventures to ask after Nivenna comes back from putting away the cleaning supplies. Nivenna then reaches behind her back and pulls out his Scanner from a hidden pocket. She does not immediately hand it back to him. And, this time, he sighs. Of course, a couple of hours of cleaning isn't going to earn back my Scanner.
"This was just the first half of what you owe me. The second half is to babysit that sickly babe all day tomorrow." Kazdan blinks rapidly. Okay….that's not bad. I mean she didn't say I'm her slave or I have to watch the baby all the time like some sort of fairy-enslaved human nanny.
"Okay." He promises unwaveringly. Nivenna tosses him his Scanner and he catches it without a fumble.
"Oh, and you should also know that being in debt to an UnderWorlder and welching on it ends with said UnderWorlder hunting you down and letting the kitchen mistress make a snack out of you for Lord Chaor." She adds a small, cruel smile at the end exactly like the demonic elf that she is. Kazdan gulps and nods his head.
"Good, you shall meet me tomorrow where I found you. Or, rather, in about six hours from now. So don't tally." She waves him off, finally dismissing him from her presence. Kazdan finally presses the button to port back to Earth. He disappears in a stream of blue code. Nivenna sighs and begins her walk back to her apartments.
The human left without giving me his name. I would say that's typical of a human, but they may be the best for him. He's like the pale babe; he will probably die before solon's end. But that little display of anger from him might make him…useful to Lord Chaor. Only the Cothica can tell.
Author's Comments- Here are the links:
This is the picture I used for my description of Nivenna, but I used more of her coloring from the show than the actual card, at least for this card before she becomes UnderWorld Commander, since she looks kind of younger, judging by the length of her hair, and it was obviously before the M'Arrillian Invasion: a href=" . /chaotic/images/2/24/C-U_ /revision/latest?cb=20100118230858"Link/a
The townhouses that obviously belong to the artsy wealthy or upper-middle-class in UnderWorld City: a href=" "Link/a
The theatre that I based Tartarus Theater on: a href=" real-haunt-photo/m/cohoes-music-hall_ "Link/a
It has been…months since I last updated this story. And, to be honest, I believe this will be the only Chaotic story that you can expect updates for. And, unfortunately, without much consistency in when the updates will happen. This is not solely due to the fact that school has started again and I have to focus on writing essays. No, it is because my passion for Chaotic cooled, while my passion for Star Wars became a roaring fire that has yet to die down. If you've checked my page on any of my accounts dedicated to stories, you'll notice that I've been writing Star Wars stories as of late. And, for that too, I have plenty of unfinished stories that I don't see having a conclusion until maybe a decade from now or something.
Anyways, I got back into writing for Chaotic, or at least this chapter, by finding out this interesting tidbit about a connection to Chaotic and Star Wars. Marc Thompson the voice actor for Chaor, Peyton, and Najarin (and plenty of other roles) performed the unabridged 20th Anniversary editions of the Thrawn trilogy audiobooks; I don't know if it means that he voiced Thrawn, but I'm going to presume so until someone corrects me. I then started comparing Thrawn and Chaor for a while, and they have many, many differences, but they do have this one trait in common, other than not being human, is that no one knows the complete ins and outs of their mental processes. And I eventually returned to writing this chapter up. Does that mean I'm going to make Chaor like Thrawn? No, but I will make some allusions.
Special Note for readers on :
I have an Archive of Our Own account under the sane name where I post all of my work that I have. Including this story. I would highly recommend you read the story there than here because the links are accessible on Archive of Our Own and it looks much, much nicer on the site.
Also, any Chaotic writers looking for another site to post your work? You can use Archive of Our Own, you have to get an invite, but you wait maybe like a couple of days or upwards to week for the most part. There is a Chaotic section and there has only been like three or four other writers (including me) who have posted our work there. It would be nice to see the section have more work. Plus, think of it as an opportunity to actually edit your work or maybe format it how you wanted it to be formatted.