Carefully you drop down and land quietly. Give a quick scope of the surroundings, this was place was rather dark, but you managed to see clearly enough. Eyes having adjusted since coming here. Still, this place was to be tread cautiously. With its jagged sharp and jagged Thundrillium crystal protruding from the ground and pretty much all throughout the inside of the mountain of Plun-Darr. Even the passageways and tunnels you used and few you've made luckily. The first time you came here, nearly fell to your death. As you leap, before looking. Thank goodness you had quick reflexes.
Tugging on the rope, making sure it was secured, it was. Good. You manage to find a place to hide it, for the time being. Knowing you'd be back for it. Donning your cloak, use the hood to conceal yourself, while wrapping around something to cover your mouth. The dark colors helped you blend in with the shadows of this place. Armed with you needed, head down one of the tunnels.
Stopping for a second, and feel the wall or something. Finding the marker, proceed further. Finding another marker, carved in the tunnel walls. Make your way to the lower parts. Where you could hear the misery of the slaves. Of the Thunderians. Your heart ached for them. These where Pyumra's people, forced to suffer in condition, many no doubt died from. Counting a few with your eyes, while forming a plan on who this would work. At the same time trying to see what to do about the Rat guards. Those, you had to be extra careful with. There was more than last time, you noticed. They had increased the numbers.
Well, it made sense. As they were losing more slaves, thanks to you. Taking some more rope, grappling hook and put in-between a tight place. Tugging on it, making sure it was secure and sturdy and throw the rest over the side, in a hidden spot. Always a new spot, just to be safe. Going down now would not be the wisest thing, so you'd have to wait. Taking a seat, remaining quiet as possible.
Patience.
You'd learn that here, something you recall Dobo, telling you and Pyumra in your training. Something you lacked, but now had a modest understanding of it. The only thing about this patience was that cruel. What you had to hear and endure, being unable to do anything. The lashings the Thunderians received, from the rats. It stung. It angered you, this was what Pyumra was forced to endure. No wonder she was the way she way. And how she was to her King. Who for some strange reason, you felt familiar. You hadn't gotten a good look at him fully, you wondered if he had those eyes you've been seeing.
Resting your head on the wall, close your eyes. Seeing those blue/teal eyes again. They just stared, blinking only once, and then came those light, mysterious lavender eyes. So calm. So powerful. Yet, so sad. You wanted to know those eyes belonged to, they're beautiful and alluring. Reaching out towards them, they disappear in a puff.
Opening your eyes, still in the same place. How long had you been out for? Peering over the side, down below. It seemed like some time had passed. Looking at the guards, there seem to be few. Eyeing the Thunderdians left in the imprisoned camp, counting them and estimating how many you could actually take and the time it would. Grab the rope and descend down, keeping yourself hidden behind the larger rocks and shadows. Remaining sharp and vigilant. The only thing crazy, the pounding of your heart. It was beating non-stop in your chest. Pumping the blood through your veins, muscles tighten. Breathing slightly raspy and still. Taking a deep breath, and dart out. Hiding just the as guard came, nearly caught. You hold your breath and wait for them pass. Listening to their footsteps move away, allow yourself to breathe.
This part was the hardest, you had to be fully focused. Lowering yourself close to the ground the best you could scurry across. Doing your best to remain out of sight, stopping when you felt the guards came or you heard voices. Your heart was pounding with panic but also exhilaration. Closing the distance between you and the camp make it there. Cower lowly behind some things, no rat voices that you could hear. Though you did hear cats, peering around see a few of them tired and nearly broken. Dirty. Your heart went out to them. Only fueled your determination to free them.
Giving a quick look around see no guards and hurry to them, one of them notices your approach, quickly you put a hushing finger to your lips. Greeting them with a friendly smile.
And quickly talk maintaining a whisper."Hello, I'm here to help you."
They were surprised. Which was common. One of them points a shaky finger at you."Y-You're the one?!"
You nod."Yes. Now please, I can get you few out. But, you must not bring much. Actually nothing at all. We must move quickly."The urgency in your voice and eyes. Tell them to stand. Which they did, though stumble just a bit. You manage to catch the one and give them support.
"Follow me, but, be quiet. Please. Do not stray."Warning them and take off. They follow you had about five with you. They do their best to keep up with you. Following your moves. Waiting on your signs.
Once you reach the rope only have one at a time come, to climb. Push them up quickly. Telling them to hurry. While you kept your eyes out for any guards. None so far, so this was going well. With the last cat up, you follow right behind them.
"Alright." You praise them reaching the top."Good job everyone, don't worry freedom is just arou-?!"You gasped stunned and shocked.
The rats! Standing there holding the cats you came to free, to stun your reaction to help them was too slow, the second you lunged towards one. To be smacked back and nearly fell back off the edge. But they grab you by the wrist roughly. Preventing you. You try to get out but to no avail. Their hold on you was too strong. Looking to the cats with sorrowful and apologetic eyes before you were bound, gagged and dragged away.
The rats just threw you hard onto the ground with no remorse. Before their great leader, a rather large, pouchy and imposing rat. Wearing blue and gold armor. He was quite disgusting looking. Especially as he ate, you nearly wanted to gag, but could not with your mouth gagged.
"Keep your eyes to the ground!" A hard kick to your back forces you down, standing on you with one foot upon your back. A smaller and scraggly rat with an eye patch. "Sir, we have caught our thief."He addresses the Lord of the Rats in a respectful tone. Even bowing. From what you saw.
You did your best not to wiggle or make any movements. Remaining still. The larger rat finishes his food and finally looks down at you. Rather unimpressed but also intrigued.
But his words came out disgusted and cultured."This little...thing. Is our thief?" He rises from his chair and grabs you roughly with one hand squeezing both your cheeks. Looking at you. Trying to figure you out. While pondering some sort of familiarity."You look...hmm...you're disgusting."Tossing your face to the side."I am not sure why you came to steal what is rightfully mine. But, I will not stand for it!"His voice spikes a bit in anger. Whips around glaring at you."You're not even a cat and yet you come to save them? Haha."He insults in a scoff."You clearly must be as stupid as them too. It makes sense now."
Oh, how you wanted to say something back, but, your mouth being gagged prevented you. Otherwise, you say quite some colorful words. Words Rator-O saw reflected in your eyes.
"You dare?!"He roars and next thing you knew the back of his hand smacked you hard across the face, with enough force to send you back just a bit. He smiles in satisfaction.
Yep, that hurt. You could feel the pain beginning to swell on that cheek. Something tasted salted and thick. It was blood. Your blood. Looking down you see it drizzling from the corner of your mouth. Staining your gag. The sight of your own blood caused you fade out for a second and in that second you saw something, you weren't quite sure what it was. It faded away and you came back finding yourself chained up in isolation. That same scurry rat who stomped on you had just finished putting the shackles on. Rather tight, that it pinched.
Your flinching notified of your awareness."Ah, you're up. Good. Rator-O has special plans for you."You try to speak back finding your mouth gagged. This time with some sort of thick leather strap across your mouth, tied tightly in the back. With only holes to breath out of."What's that?"He mocks you."Since you have nothing to say, well then, let me. Our great leader has you are to remain a prisoner here until you fade out. For stealing his property. You now have become his and as payment for taking one's personal property it only seems fitting you take their place." A wicked smirk spread across his lips.
Your eyes snarl to his pleasure. "What? Nothing to say? Hmm?" He mocks, grabbing your by the cheeks with a hard squeeze. Digging his nails in. It broke a bit of skin. "Pity." Throws your face down, whips his tail like a rod across your face with enough force to knock you out.
Making sure he didn't kill leans in close, good, you where still breathing. With no need for you now, he leaves.
This was strange, very strange indeed. How did you become surrounded by thick fog? Last you remember was finding and making it into the mountain of Plun-Darr and freeing some of the cats captured and enslaved. It was goin well, till you became caught. Which you should be, chained and tied, not here standing surrounded by this...eerie thick fog. It was so thick you could cut it, if you had a knife. Waving a hand before you call out only to hear nothing but echoes as a response. You do it again, getting the same results.
Where were you? This place it seem...so cold and creepy. Lost and confused too, heavy as well. The best thing was to just stay here and not move, but there was this whisper or maybe not that told you to walk forward. Your mind screamed no, but your legs said yes. Start walking, tempted to shout out held back. It wouldn't make a difference. So instead reach out in hopes to feel what was in front, before bumping into it. There was nothing you felt but air, but you heard. Voices, voices you'd never heard with a name that seemed familiar. A tinge familiar. Maybe.
The first voice was a deep one, there was masculine, authority and power behind it, but also kindness and fairness. Zahra, come and join me for a stroll.
Zahra? What kind of name was that? The talk continued, this time the voice was different. It was low and monotone, it belonged to a female's. Why must you take interest in me? Your highness? I have books that need to be read.
A king must take interest all in his kingdom. And you have kept your eyes down long enough in life.
Knowledge is not keeping the eyes down, in fact it enhances them. The more knowledge one obtains the more they able to do.
That is true, but, knowledge can allow on to miss out on what is before them. Now, put the book down and come with me.
The dialogue ended, but there was no one you saw. Still walking, when you suddenly trip and fall. Did the fog disperse for a moment and you saw green grass, quickly it was covered. And there was nothing. What in the world? Feeling around for it, fanning the fog away it would not go. On all four crawl around patting for that patch of green, getting nothing. It didn't stop you, stubbornly you searched. Searched for something. Your ears hear more voices and that name Zahra again. All around you. It was like they where there, standing quickly call out but nothing came back. The voices kept coming. Names coming too. Caused your head to start spinning that you stumbled back scream.
Stop when something or someone catches you. They set you up right. "T-Thank you." you breath. Face them find ghostly lavender eyes meeting yours. Belonging to a girl, she seemed around your age but a year older. Her eyes held your gaze as if speaking to you.
She looked pretty despite her lack of expression. Her eyes showed her inner beauty that was just amazing. They at first glance seem cold and dark, but after a while grew warm. Maybe it was small, very small delicate smile she had. Was it just you or was she glad to see you. Raises a hand out before you. You weren't sure what to make of this, raise your hand to hers. She lightly presses it against yours, it was a match. Hand size.
Interesting.
For moment, then it became freaky. A soft glow started to illuminate from the hands. It was warm and...trying hard not to freak did your best to keep calm. She remained calm the whole time. Even had her eyes closed and her small smile seem to grow little by little. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"A-Are you okay?" you asked.
Her eyes open glowing for a moment. Lifting a finger she puts it your lips silencing you. Leans up touches foreheads, melding something that made you gasp and a blinding light.
You jolt up panting nearly screamed, if someone didn't catch you in their arms. Your head was on fire...it was...god it hurt. What in the world...
"Lily. Lily!"
Someone was calling for you, but who? Was it that female? No, she didn't talk, it was someone else. They kept calling till you gave some sort of response. Shaking your head rubbing it turn to the voice finding.
Lion-O.
Kneeled by you, with concerned eyes. He kept calling you over and over again, for some reason when he did you just thought for a moment he was calling out a different name. Because from your memory you heard him do it. He was calling Zahra over and over again. Instead it was your name. That and he was rather...close. Quickly shove him away.
"I-I'm fine!" you nearly scream scooting back, bump into something hard. Feeling behind, touch feet. Bare-feet, moving up there was ankles, legs the higher you went and there came...the ends of a dress, a short one. One you knew all too well. And made you swallow hard.
Hearing a low growl over you, made your shoulders sink. The growl didn't stop, slowly you start to/try to move away. "Oh no you don't!" Pumyra grabs you back, by the wrist. Hissing a warning to stay still. "Just what in Thundra where you thinking? Huh?"
The others Panthro, Tigera, and Cheetera join Lion-O. See the scolding before them. "Good we found her." Panthro sighs relieved. Crossing his arms. "We can send her back to Dobo."
Hearing his name, you pull away from Pumyra and refuse. "No! I don't want to go back!" To everyone surprise and confusion. "Don't send me back there! Please!"
"But, Lily you have to go." Cheetera states. "Dobo told us once we found you, to return you and that is what we nee-"
You refused again. "No! I won't go back! None of you can make me. I have ever right to be here and be out like all of you. So if you send me back then...then.."you look around for something, seeing nothing pick up sizeable rock and hold it over your head. Throw it at them, it just barely made it. "I'll kept throwing more rocks!"
"Okay." Panthero rolls his eyes walks over and towers over you. With a deep scowl. "This is what's going to happen, you're going back to Dog Cit. You're going back to Dobo. You're going to live there and that's the end of that. Nothing else! Got it!"
"No!" you snap back. "I am not going back, I want to come with all of you."
Lion-O steps in after that. "Absolutely not! This doesn't concern you, infact this is more cat business than anything."
"So! What if I'm not a cat, I came to rescue them! Didn't I? That kind of makes me.." you voice drops to the side. "like one. Sort of, ah!" Panthero yanks you up by the shirt. Goodness he was strong. Your feet dangled just a few feet of the ground.
"Listen here, girlie!" His voice thunders. "Whatever thing you got in your head, you think you know, you don't. So you came to free a few cats, you got caught and nearly imprisoned. What would have happened if we didn't come here hmm? What would you have done?"
You look away.
"Well?!"
Tensions where rising and sizzling. Cheetera steps in. "Lily, though your actions where noble, if not selfless, you cannot come. Dobo wants his pup back. The journey we're on is dangerous and you could easily get hurt or worse. You have skills, which is good but you're going to need more than skills."
More than skills? Your eyes fall to your hands, that tingling feeling fizzed on your tips. Closing your eyes for a moment, let your hands be guided. The others weren't sure what was happening, that is until they saw. Cheetera's staff dropped out her hand, Panthero nearly was blinded by the light glowing off you he had to drop you and step back.
His mouth nearly fell open. "What in Thundera…."
Lion-O and Tygra openly stare, glance at each other then back to the sight before them. This...this light it was...the clenching swelled in their chest was undeniable. Maybe it was a mistake, it just had to be. Because there was only one person they knew that could preform what you were emitting. Just as quickly as it came it vanished.
They expected to see her standing there, found you instead. Smirking. "See. So can I come!?"
Mumm-Ra felt a change in the air, it faint but there. There was no doubt about it, he knew...a delightful smile spread across his lips crusted lips.
Sorry for the long wait and if the chapter was some what okay.