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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2018 13:21:41 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Aodh Plot 607: Cover of Darkness Team Leader: Eshana Participants: Adari, Eon, Ida, Judas, Isolt, Nil, Reija, Pax Date: April 10th, Night Please keep the following in mind!- Posts must be a minimum of 175 words. There is no maximum!- No strict order is enforced, but there must be at least two posts between your own character's.- No god-moding or reading characters' minds (unless your pony is a literal telepath, anyway)
- Always get consent before harming another character!- Your team is precious. Try to interact with everyone. <3- Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'DPrompt:After months of planning, the smugglers and Vindicators have teamed up for another ambitious mission inside Valore. While one team of Vindicators split off to investigate elsewhere, you have made your way through the tunnels to Valore's Dark District, where the city's labor slaves are housed. While the nobles celebrate throughout the city, the labor slaves sleep restlessly in dark and overcrowded barracks. As fireworks burst overhead, drawing the attention of any present chevaliers, you use all the stealth you can muster to get into the building. Your entrance is not quiet enough to avoid waking some of the sleeping laborers, however, and your presence is noticed as you fan out through the barracks. Your goal is simple, but daunting: Convince the labor slaves -- all of them -- to follow you to freedom and, remaining undetected, move them safely out of the city. Location: Dark District of Valore Time of Day: Just after sundown Current Weather: Clear skies, with fireworks above You do not have to wait for your leader to post!
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Post by mariahwhy on Jul 1, 2018 23:28:47 GMT -6
Isolt | Labor Slave
Many of the commoners and nobles would think that not being able to attend a festival was akin to a punishment, but Isolt always looked forward to the lack of attendance. The idea of getting the labor slaves out of the public eye in time for festivities meant an early evening home for her. Often she was not returned to the Dark District before sundown, but tonight she had enough time to come home, enjoy a small dinner, and chat with some of her house mates before settling in just as the last rays of sun shone through the small, dingy windows of the barrack. She had closed her eyes, watched as the red turned to black behind her eyelids, and fallen fast asleep. For maybe twenty minutes. Then the fireworks started. She had expected them of course. She cracked her eyes open, and watched as echoes of the brilliant colors reflected off of the tops of buildings out the window. Blue. Red. Blue. Yellow. Red. Despite how loud they were, they offered a strange comfort. Her city celebrating its wealth and good fortune. She smiled at the muffled and distant sounds of the crowds between each fizzle and crack, and closed her eyes again. This time she didn't even have a chance to fall asleep before being roused. But this time it wasn't by the fireworks still going on outside. It was someone inside. Without lifting her head she slowly looked around, not pretending to be asleep, but making no attempt to speak to anyone. Those shadowy figures were not any of her bunkmates, she assumed. Who they were, though, her imagination was not good enough to even guess. She simply stared, waiting for them to either notice her and speak, or for another slave to ask who they might be. (Post 1: 302 words) |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2018 8:06:18 GMT -6
 Pax it's the best that i can do Pax flinched with every pop of the fireworks overhead, rolling an anxious eye skyward as showers of colored sparks lit up the courtyard from overhead. Logically, he understood that the display would be a fine distraction for the guards they needed to slip past, but he worried every time the bursts of light filled the street. Weren't they just asking to be seen? He pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head, and over the dragon clinging to his matted mane. Tulip trilled softly as the cowl settled over her and poked her nose out from within, tiny nostrils flaring beside Pax's ear. Every time Pax went tense, her little talons dug deeper into his crest.
These Vindicators were reckless. Pax tried to keep pace at the front of the party, his small hooves scurrying to match the strides of larger horses, and he passed annoyed glances back at Reija. His patience for most anything was short, Vindicators in particular, but her familiar and calming presence kept him from snapping at the Vagabonds they'd led into the city. He tried to remind himself of the importance of their work every time he was tempted to critique his allies.
"This way," he hissed through gritted teeth, near-silent, as he moved around a corner. He was familiar with the labor slave barracks. Since his days as a fighting slave (even in his time in the palace) he enjoyed the company of Valore's labor force, their street races and unique culture. For a time, he'd brought them pastries stolen from the king's own bakery, and split them to the last crumb in this very building. Looking grimly down the dark hall, he marveled briefly at the fact that he remembered those days with fondness. He hadn't even known then how bad things could get.
Rows of sleeping bodies didn't stir as the trespassers entered the quiet room. Pax studied them feverishly, looking for anyone he knew, and when a head poked up in the darkness he lowered his hood in case they'd find his face familiar. A bright flash of fireworks outside lit Isolt from the side for a moment, and made Pax's pale face and clingy dragons momentarily visible. He moved to the stirring labor slave quietly, head low, and knelt on the floor before her. "My name is Pax," He breathed. "I was a slave too." His chronic guilt returned like a stomachache.
"Do you know anyone here who needs help? Anyone sick or injured?"
post 1 | 414 words |
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 2, 2018 11:01:37 GMT -6
N i L
Ω Aodh | Labor Slave Ω
 "When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt."
~Honore de Balzac Ω
That day had been particularly hard, and would have been harder if not for the goggles. He was exhausted, even more-so than usual, so it was a blessing to be let off when they were. He wasted little time to curl up in his corner of the barracks, ignoring the chatter going on from the other slaves. He was still young, yet he felt like he was aging so much faster than normal. The way Aodh pushed their slaves, he was sure many had succumbed today, and he felt sick thinking about how their lives were expendable and they would simply go out and find more Vagabonds to fill the spots.
Snorting some dust from his nostrils, heavy lids fell and he was out, though the sleep was as dreamless as ever, though that was far better than the nightmares of his past. This he could deal with time and time again.
The pops and bangs of the fireworks caused him to snap awake. Even after all this time, he couldn’t get used to it. Grumbling, he turned towards the corner more, pinning his ears back as he desperately tried to get back to sleep. He could faintly hear hoof falls, but figured it might be the guards checking up on them. Except, it wasn’t. The voice wasn’t familiar, and it sounded hurried. He turned and looked over his shoulder, spying a small pegasus and...many other shadows. He immediately rose at the nothing that this pegasus was a slave too, in the past. What did that mean? Of course Nil was interested! The very notion revitalized him. And the one Pax was talking to was none other than Isolt. He quickly picked his way around the other sleeping slaves, ears forward for once as he focused on getting closer without waking anyone else. Even if Isolt was the only one who could become free, he would be happy.
“The ones who are sick and injured? They are likely dead already, after the work we were put through today for this...celebration.” Nil whispered, nearly spitting from anger, his ears curling back to their normal position; against his skull. Even in the darkness, he felt he somewhat...recognized this pegasus male.
“I am Nil. You say you call yourself Pax? You look familiar.”
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Post by Artistic Pineapple on Jul 2, 2018 16:36:34 GMT -6
Reija | SmugglerReija's hip was bothering her.
The aging mare attempted to keep pace with a tense Pax as they passed Chevaliers, distracted by the
loud pops of color overhead. This mission seemed almost too dangerous, too risky.
Freeing all the labor slaves? In one night? Under the cover of a celebration?
The Vindicators were ambitious, that was for sure. But yet, here she was, lending her aid to vigilantes
because a large part of her worried what could happen if she wasn't there. She sighed, keeping an eye
on her surroundings and returning Pax's glances with her ears turned backward.
The barracks were almost completely dark, save for the flashes of fireworks overhead that managed to
creep through the small windows and offer sparse flashes of light. Immediately, Reija noticed the number
of slaves sleeping here. But not everyone was asleep.The quiet stirring of a few slaves caught her atten-
tion as their small group entered a room. She watched as Pax made his way over to one of them, his voice
barely audible despite the silence of the room. Her attention was then drawn to the shape carefully appro-
aching them in the dark. She stepped forward to meet the figure, Nil, who had answered Pax's question bitterly.
"We need to know if those that are sick and injured need aid,"
she answered Nil quietly, blue eyes meeting his with only honestly.
"We plan to liberate all of you."
Now their plan was out in the open, but with only a few ears to hear it. Reija hoped the two slaves before
them could lend more help in persuading the others. She glanced around, checking for more stirring bodies
and making eye contact with the other members of their party for reassurance.
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Post by kerarose on Jul 3, 2018 7:03:24 GMT -6
ADARIVindicator Specialist (Spy) Adari followed Pax through the crowded streets of the Dark District, her eyes flicking this way and that way, taking in her surroundings. The flashes of fireworks might have aided with her vision, but she preferred the cover of darkness in her missions, as the odds of being caught were much lower. She stepped carefully and quietly through the streets, her hoof-falls silent with years of practice, as she followed Pax into a barrack that had clearly seen better days. Its roof sagged, the road outside was littered with filth, the muck piling up against the walls... Adari was glad that she had never had to live in the Dark District during her years as a slave. She took the lead to quietly open the door, searching inside for any non-slave residents, before leading the other Vindicators inside. She stepped forward to rouse the inhabitants, her touch gentle, but quick. She had a bad feeling that their luck could not last forever.
She wandered over to a mule, her pinto form upright, already awake. "My name is Adari, and we've come to get you out of here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was a slave here too, a servile slave for a cruel master. I can't let anyone else suffer the way I did." She looked the mare over, looking for any injuries that might slow the group down upon their (hopefully unnoticed) escape. Seeing none, she turned again to the mare. "What is your name?"
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Post by Ribbon-Wren on Jul 3, 2018 8:35:24 GMT -6
Ida || Vindicator Soldier
Ida pulled her hood higher over her head, despite the uncomfortable Aodhian heat that made the hair on her neck prickle. Having only been in Valore a handful of times during her career as a Vindicator, the alien country always made her uneasy. This fact, along with the mission at hand, made Ida feel almost ill as she wound through the streets behind the Smugglers and Vindicators who lead the way. The cheers and laughter of the citizens of Valore were distant, but it didn't stop her from wincing every time she heard a noise. The cheers are a good sign, she had to repeatedly tell herself, the slave owners will be distracted and have their eyes away from the Dark District while they celebrate. Despite this thought, anxiety gnawed at her stomach as she followed the others into the nearest barrack.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the din. The occasional flash of fireworks found its way through cracks in the walls and the poorly covered windows, momentarily washing them all in deep shadows and dramatic colours. Those moments were tense, and Ida found herself wishing with each whistle and bang that the fireworks would just stop already. With a deep breath she brought herself back into focus, though she still continued to nervously tap the ground with one of her hooves when she came to a stand still beside Adari. She tried to give the few awake slaves around her a reassuring smile, though with her nerves she expected it looked more like a grimace. "Hey," She nodded in greeting, "I'm Ida."
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Post by mariahwhy on Jul 3, 2018 15:14:52 GMT -6
Isolt | Labor Slave
The mare watched as the figures filed in through the door, lit every so often by a flash of color. They were all cloaked and hooded, but she held no fear of them. Even as one approached her and lowered his hood to reveal a face pale enough to detect even without light. Pax? Was that name familiar? A flash of light. Yes; she did know him. They had raced many a time in these streets. He had been a slave, and then one day he just stopped coming around. That was it. She had thought nothing of it. That's what happened when a slave disappeared. But they didn't usually show back up... While trying to process this she missed his question, but a familiar voice cut in. She recognized the disdain in Nil's voice. Isolt knew they did not share the same views on their positions, and it worried her how he felt about his work. Still, she couldn't help but give a small nod of agreement. He was right. Those that needed the most help could no longer accept it. And there wasn't a one of them alive that wasn't sick and injured in some form. Even at a young age her joints already hurt, and just today she had rubbed a raw spot on her ribs from wearing a too small harness while dragging some equipment out to the festival set-up. But she was one of the healthy ones. Another one of the figures approached, and repeated Pax's question. Still confused about who exactly these horses were or their intentions here in the dark, she reluctantly nodded her head to one far side of the room. "There are a pair of foals over there. I believe one sprained his-""We plan to liberate all of you."It was as if someone had lit a fire beneath the mule. She scrambled to her hooves, and backed away immediately, stumbling over another horse in the process. A call of protest came from beneath her, and a few of the nearby slaves began to awaken. A flash of light. The whites of her eyes glinted. Murmurs of confusion picked up around the room. Isolt hardly noticed the other labor slaves waking up though. The room seemed suddenly too dark between each firework, and the figures too ominous when lit. The noises outside were too distant. Isolt wanted to be part of them, surrounded by them, in the middle of her bright city and not here in the dark. She'd heard rumors of smugglers, but she had always tried to ignore the idea. If she didn't acknowledge them they didn't exist. But now they did. They were here, and they wanted to take her away. Her heart was racing and her breathing shallow as if she had just been in a street race. She completely missed all the greetings, and would not have cared had she heard them. She didn't want to know their names and give further recognition to their existence. But one voice cut through, and she whipped her head around to Adari. "I was once a servile slave as well, with a cruel master. But now I am a labor slave, and I do not suffer." Her words were clipped and strained, and not even attempting a whisper. "The city gives me a home. It provides me with food. And I get to help it thrive." The words created a rift among those slaves awake, and words of protest and agreement split the room. "It would be nothing without us, and I will not abandon it." A flash of light. There was conviction behind her words, but her body shook violently. She remembered looking out into the darkness of the outside world when the Vagabonds had blown a hole in the Dark District last year, and how the void had filled her with such horror. Isolt had refused the call then, and she would refuse it now.
(Post 2: 660 words)
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savorda
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Post by savorda on Jul 3, 2018 17:46:10 GMT -6
| eon you have suffered enough it's time that you won |
Home. Home. Home.
Hell.Returning to Valore made Eon’s skin crawl. It didn’t really hit him until they were weaving their way through the Dark District stirring up memories good and bad alike. It honestly felt like no time had passed since his escape. A small part of him still felt the need to hurry home to the villa a few miles away before he got in trouble for staying out too late. Old habits die hard.
Eon will be the first to admit he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be working with smugglers. Their intentions were good, of course, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. As soon as one slave was smuggled out, three more took their place. They could do so much better. They will do better. Tonight. They had to.
The barracks were ominous in the dim lighting. The bright flashes of color from the fireworks overhead were almost comical in contrast to the tension in the room. As quiet voices filled the silence between loud pops and bangs, slumbering forms began to stir. Eon stayed alert. While most chevaliers were about as observant as a brick wall, anything even resembling a commotion in the barracks would surely catch their attention. They desperately needed to keep quiet.
“...I will not abandon it.”
That was the very last thing Eon wanted to hear coming from a labor slave. His attention snapped to the mare that spoke, his disbelief obvious.
“Abandon the city? It abandoned you long ago.” Eon huffed. “The only reason they feed you and house you is that it is easier than trying to replace you in the time it would take you to die.” Eon paused to allow his words to register. He can easily understand why a servile slave would not want to leave a kind master. Hell, if he was given the option to leave only a few years earlier, he wouldn’t even have entertained the idea. But a labor slave? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“How could you want to remain at the mercy of a city that readily allows your friends to die without a second thought?”
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 4, 2018 0:24:21 GMT -6
N i L
Ω Aodh | Labor Slave Ω
"When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt."
~Honore de Balzac Ω
Nil was hardly being snarky. He was being completely honest. There was no medical care for those who were injured and sick, and those who were very sick usually succumbed at work or in their sleep. And the injured? They often lay silently suffering. But he understood then, the gravity of what was going on. This wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t a farce. These shadowed equines standing in the middle of the barracks were planning on saving them.
The hardened face of Nil softened when Reija looked into his eyes, her blue meeting his red. The feeling of electricity danced from his bloodstone hooves up his legs and into his heart. Adrenaline pumped and his muscles shivered, just as they did before every single race he ran, no matter if he placed or not. This was real. Smugglers were real. Hah, they seemed like mythical creatures until now. Those who had vanished were said to have died..even though in rather good health...
This was real.
Around him, other Vindicators were stirring other slaves, and Nil’s usually angry gaze got more and more excited, showing his true, young age of 24. He felt his age, and not with the painful sores or the tired muscles. He felt like he could run forever, chasing Alya’s wind. Oh yes, freedom was so close he could taste it. And so could his bluejay Melia. The small bird flew down from the dingy window and landed on his head, staying silent despite the pops of color behind her.
But just like lightning, the fireworks echoed outside as Isolt spoke, and like thunder, each syllable spoken felt like the lash of a whip.
However, this was also Isolt. He knew how she was, though they had barely ever spoken.
His mind went back to the day of the execution when they were partnered up to bring the prisoners into the crucible. He remembered his defiance. He remembered her complacency. He would have that that perhaps she could have changed since then, but she was loyal as ever, and he felt a lump in his throat at her words. He had to change her mind. If anyone here should be free, it should be her, and all of the other slaves who believed this was their purpose.
But most of all her…
Nil was not affectionate. He had never known a gentle touch since before or after his Mistress Melia. But he had to convince her to leave. If she could taste freedom, real freedom, then maybe she’d see her true worth, just as these Vagabonds did. Why would they risk their very lives if they did not? Nil stepped closer to Isolt, his eyes on Eon as the male spoke. Though his words seemed harsh, it was a simple truth. If they were to get out, he had to help them convince Isolt. He wasn’t sure if he could leave her, knowing how...sadly satisfied she was.
“Isolt…” The small stallion moved even closer to her, though not enough to touch her. “What they say is true.” He looked over to the foals she had mentioned earlier. “Do you see a wrap on his leg? A healing poultice? A warm blanket?” He looked back to her, raising his head. “They don’t give a damn about us, Isolt. They dragged us out and let us watch innocent horses get burned to death and EATEN by our king’s very own companion. And they made us even try to clean up the aftermath, the gore, of our fellows! Just as we cleaned up the last mess that thing created. How many of us died? How many of us are dying? Are we not equines like them? What difference is there between a slave and a master?” He paused, lowering his head. “Don’t answer that. I’ll tell you…” He leaned in a bit closer. “There isn’t. There is not a single difference. We all breath Alya’s clean air, bleed Cascades life-giving blood, stand upon Kaia’s nourishing earth, think with Argus’ intelligent mind and yes...we all have Ignacio’s burning desire.” He paused, his heart pounding and his mind reeling. He felt so utterly passionate.
“Please...Isolt...we could go anywhere. Come with me. Come with me to Serora. Far away from this terrible place. Where we can eat our fill and sleep on warm beds. Where we will be loved for who we are and not used for what they made us into. Don’t continue allowing them to step on you like dirt. You’re a diamond in the rough and they know this...we all are. But they want to keep us down until we die and they can replace us. And all so they can live in luxury without having to do a damn thing for themselves…” He trailed off, staring just at her. “Please...I don’t want to leave without you..” He shook himself, finally looking around at the other faces of his fellow slaves in the darkness. “I can’t leave without all of you. Please...join us…”
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Post by kerarose on Jul 4, 2018 6:57:20 GMT -6
ADARIVindicator Specialist (Spy) Adari couldn't believe the young mare's words. Stay in New Valore, a city whose residents crushed those they deemed beneath them? A city that tore children from their mothers as soon as they could stand, allowed equines to fight to the death for the sheer enjoyment of those watching, whose greed for new bodies and minds to torture knew no bounds? She stiffened, her anger glowing red-hot inside her, Ignacio's flames stirring her to speak.
"I lived in this city for twenty long years, young mare," she said, her whispers spitting with rage. "My mother was beaten to death in front of me when I dropped a set of china. My children were torn from my side as soon as they could stand, sold off to the pits to fight to their deaths. I was beaten and scarred and hated the taste of a bit in my mouth. I doubt you understand how cruel this city can be to those it deems unworthy of its glamour and love, at your age- how old are you, fifteen? Sixteen, maybe?" She glanced away, calming the fires inside her, allowing her mask of cool indifference to come down over her features. "Fine. So be it. If you love this city so much, then you can rebuild it by yourself. We are escaping tonight, and we are bringing all of these slaves with us. Then you will see how cruel New Valore can be, when there is one little mare left to rebuild an entire city."
She heard the young male slave's words to the young mare, and sighed softly. "Your friend is right, little one," she said. "Once you are free, you can go anywhere you wish. No more bridles, no more bits, no more mind games from masters that see you as property or backbreaking work from sunup to sundown." She looked the little mare in the eye, silently measuring her up. "I only pray that you are wise enough to follow him."
With that, she turned away, ready to wake the other slaves. One mare's clouded mind would not stop her from seeng the others go free.
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Post by Mad-Manx on Jul 4, 2018 10:38:16 GMT -6
Eshana vagabond | vindicator "Strong but exhausted."
Post: #1 | Word Count: 421
Like sharp cracks of thunder the fireworks burst above them.
Eshana refused to allow herself to flinch, eyes narrowing as she fixated on the run down building. Not a year ago she had stood in this very place; slept on these very floors; sought warmth and comfort from the broken individual that had collapsed around her. She had watched others take their final breath in this place, and been convinced that she too would leave this world, regarded as nothing more than a disposable piece of the city. Something meant to work, meant to die for the will of her masters; for the good of the city.
No more.
Her lip curled in disgust as she entered the building, hoof beats near silent as she intuitively reached out the least creaky boards. Nearly four years she had spent in this hellhole they called the Dark District, but if their mission went according to plan tonight, then at least these individuals would no longer have to endure the relentless choke of Valore. It was proof that someone cared for them, was determined that they should live; and of all people, she knew how much one needed that in a place like this.
Tonight she had discarded her typical Briemian cloak in favour of something less conspicuous, a dark, unmarked cloak that hung loosely off her body. She could feel Argus' blessing buzzing at the back of her consciousness, her uneasiness causing the power to simmer just below the surface. It was comforting to have at her disposal, the mark of her God remaining with her even here. She was, after all, a fugitive in these parts; not only as a Vindicator, but as a slave that had slipped through their grasp.
As they filtered in and a few of the labourers began to stir, Eshana remained silent to their inquiries but allowed her hood to fall back, her broken horn shimmering in the flashes of light that poured through the cracked roof. A clean cut that marked her as one of them, one stripped of her individuality and forced into the ownership of the city. Pressure swelled in her chest, a fierce determination that doused any flicker of doubt in her mind, any inkling of turning back without completing their mission.
For her comrades, for her fellow slaves, for her daughter; it was time to set things right. A year ago Godric had lit a spark of rebellion in the Dark District; tonight it was time to coax that into a wildfire.
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Post by Ribbon-Wren on Jul 4, 2018 11:23:08 GMT -6
Ida || Vindicator Soldier
Ida began to grow impatient at the argument that was brewing. Their hushed voices we beginning to raise, and the topic of their argument was useless and ridiculous. She couldn't fathom how on the gods' green earth Isolt would want to remain in such a place. If only she saw what freedom was like, she would realize how wrong it was to stay here. Being cooped up in this wretched city your entire life was no way to live. Realizing she had accidentally chipped a rather large indent in the floor with her anxious foot tapping, Ida tried to distance herself from Isolt. Her attempt to distract herself by helping the other slaves prepare to leave did not work as well as she had hoped, unfortunately. Ida could not block out the heated argument behind her. Their mission would not be nearly as successful if they only took a few slaves again, like last time. Valore would just find more innocent horses to fill the old slaves' shoes, just as they always had. Life would go on in the Aodh Herd, unchanged.
"Don't you see?" Ida snapped, finally turning to join the argument she had been trying to avoid, "If we leave some of you behind they will only find it a small setback, and bring in more innocent lives to be destroyed by slavery. Only by taking as many as we can, then we can actually make a difference. The Aodh herd's lazy citizens should learn for once to do some real work for a change."
Ida paused, glowering, her usually friendly demeanour gone. She herded a few of the other slaves to the door, ready to leave. The sooner she got out of this place, the better. "Whether you like it or not, we are intending to free all the slaves in Valore tonight. That includes you." What she had said was rather tactless compared to the other Vindicators' attempts of convincing Isolt to come with them, but Ida's anxiety and frustration had clouded her better judgement.
(Post 2: 342 words)
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Post by Artistic Pineapple on Jul 5, 2018 14:08:06 GMT -6
 Reija | Smuggler Reija didn't flinch when Isolt suddenly reacted to her words. In the back of her mind,the old mare resented the vindicators for this mission. Smugglers only aided slaves seeking escape, not those who decided they would rather remain servile and acceptedsuch a fate. It meant they would be happy where they were, that they would tell them-selves how much Aodh needed them. That they would believe there was no life beyondthe one they were already living... but someone had needed to make the plan known.The old mare shifted her weight - her hip was still bothering her - and let the others coax Isolt. Nil's words stirred something in Reija. Though it wasn't the first she had heardof the execution, the thought that the individual before her had not only witnessed the actbut was then forced to "clean up the aftermath" made her stomach turn. Turning from themas the vindicators bore their passionate testimonies, she made her way to where the pair offoals lay, now awake with wide and curious eyes. Reija knelt down before them, her sore hipcomplaining as she folded herself like a doe on the cool floor of the bunker. Where was their mother?Reija decided not to ponder the answer for too long and warmly introduced herself. One of the two lay uncomfortably, his right front foot swollen near the pastern. "Are you two hungry?"
Reaching into her pack, she pulled out two ripe peaches. Grown in her shop, the fruitswere especially large thanks to her blessing from Kaia. They were handed to the foals,who carefully held them in their teke, hardly examining the fruit before hungrillyfulling their cheeks. Promising they were safe and that she was only here to help, the old mare carefully wrapped the leg. Not a herbalist or healer, she still knew
that holding the sore foot in cool waterwould further help it... but for now, this would suffice."That should feel better," she told the two foals softly. If need be, she could easily carry both of them out of here. Standing back up, Reijaturned to where the group was, now aware that many more of the residents of thebunker were awake now. Raising her voice above a whisper as the fireworks continuedoutside, the old mare asked "Is anyone else here sick or injured?" The reality was that nearly all the slaves were at least a little sick or hurting, but she hopedthat only those who desperately needed aid would speak up, or at least signal for it.
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Post by mariahwhy on Jul 6, 2018 21:07:36 GMT -6
Isolt | Labor Slave
"The city has never abandoned me. It saved me," Isolt hissed at Eon. She had not thought about her old life as a servile slave in some time, and she did not like thinking about it now. Adari spoke up again, and the paint whipped her head around to her. The fear she had felt had simmered into an anger that was threatening to boil over. With each of the other mare's condescending words she gritted her teeth harder. "I'm no child. I'm almost nineteen." She honestly did not remember her exact birthday - why would you when no one had ever celebrated it? - but she knew she had been born in the summer. "And I have seen plenty of horrors." Should she mention the sight of the prisoners being eaten alive that still plagued her dreams? No. She owed this criminal no explanation. "Everyone here has, and it doesn't make any of us special. Everyone gets hurt. Everyone dies. Even the nobles. My work is simply different than theirs, but that doesn't make me any less worthy. The city will repay anyone that works hard..." she took one step towards the mare now, her green eyes tightly locked on the other's. "And if that means rebuilding it on my own, then I know Ignacio will praise my hard work and I will have something to be proud of."
She didn't know at what point she had begun to cry, but tears rolled silently down her cheeks, only visible with each flash of color. Her chest felt like the king's Wyvern was stepping on it, and the feeling only tightened when Nil spoke up. Of course she couldn't have expected him to side with her, but surely he could have had the decency to remain unbiased and not join the Vagabonds in their convincing. But she let him talk. And while she did not step back as he drew near, she did draw her head up above his, looking down at him through watery eyes. At first his speech was in the same tone as the others - woe to the slaves and all. From him it was different though, for there was shared experience to soften the outrage of his words upon her ears. But then his message changed. It was something that made Isolt wholly uncomfortable. No one had ever talked to her in such a way before. One on one, like a companion, like a friend. She began to shake her head in disbelief at the reality of his words. Go with him? Go with him to Serora? She couldn't even imagine it. Just traveling with the stallion. Just the two of them out... where? She couldn't imagine it. What was out there? It could be anything, for all she knew, and she couldn't even picture that anything. The unknown frightened her; a cloudy darkness that would eat them alive. Together.
"No," she said, her voice now lowered back into a defeated whisper. She stared at the floor between the two slaves, unable to look Nil in the eye. She didn't know why. It wasn't because she was suddenly ashamed of her position to remain.
At Ida's words she looked back up, eyes hardened once more, but tired. "No," she repeated. "I will not leave my city."
(Post 3: 548 words)
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savorda
Dwarf Star
avatar by posy-punch
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Post by savorda on Jul 7, 2018 0:03:59 GMT -6
| eon you have suffered enough it's time that you won |
Eon stood in complete and utter disbelief. How could anyone be so blind to the inequality and injustice that runs rampant in Aodh? Oh, that’s right, Aodh. Complacent and even grateful slaves were a commodity. They were easy to work with and often eager to please. The thought was humorous. He just described himself a few years back. He couldn’t blame this mare. She was still very young and naive and has yet to truly form her own views and opinions, and there was bound to be a few bumps in the road. That didn’t mean her refusal was any less infuriating. He wanted to force her, to drag her out of the barracks by her mane, but it wasn’t worth it. Eon shook his head in frustration.
“Fine. She’s made her decision. Leave her. Let’s just gather the others and get out of here. The longer we stay here the more we risk getting caught, and I’m not about to let one individual ruin this chance for the others.” Eon turned to scan the rest of the room with an irritated flick of his tail. He wasn’t about to waste any more time on someone he deemed to be a lost cause. There were so many others that needed their help, that desperately wanted their help. He couldn’t ignore them to try and persuade someone who was ready to all but sentence themselves to death.
The accounts of recent events by the other slave unsettled him. They were there. Who could possibly witness such atrocities and not jump at the first opportunity to escape a similar fate? His ear was torn and mutilated for listening to a conversation he shouldn’t have, and that rattled him enough to turn his whole outlook on life upside down. But to witness anyone get burned alive and eaten for nothing? He has to admire these two for being able to go on like they are. He’s certain he would have completely shut down should he have been in their place.
336 words | post 2 |
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Post by kerarose on Jul 7, 2018 6:29:53 GMT -6
ADARIVindicator Specialist (Spy) Adari dropped her head and sighed at the young mare's decision. She had hoped that the young mare would come with her to freedom- she reminded her of one of her children. If she could not free them, she could free the little spitfire of a mare. Sadly, it was not to be. "So be it, Isolt. You will stay. But do not ruin this chance for others to go back to their former lives and their families, or for them to taste freedom for the first time. Go back to sleep, and keep quiet. Let the others go free without being caught. I pray that Ignacio will protect you."
She turned away from the mare, turning to the others, who were rising from the floorboards. "Come. Let us get out of this wretched city, and get you free." She turned to the young stallion, apparently called Nil. "I am sorry, Nil, but you will have to leave her. We cannot convince her, and we have no more time to waste. If you want your freedom, you must come with us now."
She began nosing other slaves toward the door, whispering promises of freedom if they were quick and quiet. She did not push or shove, but was forceful in her efforts to get the other slaves out of the barracks. She passed through them to the door, listening for trouble on the other side. She turned to Isolt one last time, pleading her with her eyes to embrace freedom.
"This is your last chance, Isolt. Once we leave this building, we will not come back, even if you change your mind, and you cannot leave to join us." She sighed, grimacing slightly, before adding on to her plea. "You look so much like my son. He is a fighter in those gods-damned pits. I cannot free him tonight, and I do not know if I ever will. Please, if I cannot free him, let me free you, so you might taste freedom in his stead."
Post 3: 340 words |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2018 11:57:57 GMT -6
Paxi've got a hand, so i've got a fist,
so i've got a plan. it's the best i can do. Pax ground his teeth as the conversation continued. They didn't have this kind of time. They couldn't stand here making all this noise. Isolt's reluctance was irritating, but somehow Adari's arguments got on the short-tempered smuggler's nerves even more. He'd been in Isolt's place, not long ago. Pax worshiped Valore all his life. Despite his terror, he'd been proud to win the Crowning Day tournament, had been proud, in some moments, to stand by the young king. Even now, discarded by Valore, on the other side of the destruction and death this place had inflicted on him, Pax loved his city. He moved through its veins every day, living in its belly. He'd rather live in the filth of Valore's sewers than anywhere else on earth.
Pax hated the Noble cancer growing on his home. He hated slavery, and the predestined destruction of so many of Aodh's people, but he loved Valore. The Vindicators wouldn't understand that. "Enough," he spat at the Vindicators berating Isolt, and the pygmy dragons clinging to his back opened their mouths to snarl as if they were his extra heads. "You fucking Vindicators." Pax said the name like a slur. His voice was harsh but still nearly silent; he was only understandable thanks to the angry hiss of his consonants.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Pax had seen brands on some Vindicators' skin, he had heard some of their stories. Sure, maybe some Vindicators had been enslaved here, but not a one of them was Aodhian, if they'd ever been. You couldn't solve the problems of Aodh by evacuating it, by blowing it up, by stripping the love of it out of its people. He would help them free the labor slaves, but he wouldn't let them have their way with Valore. "Get away from her."
"Isolt." His eyes were not pleading, but they were clear. "No one is going to take you from Valore." It wasn't the terms of the agreement, he knew. The Vindicators wanted custody of everyone set loose, but Pax suddenly couldn't let that happen. He avoided Reija's gaze as he said promises that broke the ones that Smugglers had previously made: "But this barracks is going to be emptied. There might be violence here when the guards return. I don't want you to receive that anger." He felt his volume climbing, and lowered his voice again.
"I live in the city. Come with me. Let this pass. I won't let them take you." He swallowed, putting his body in between hers an Adari's with a sidestep. "I'm like you. I want to build Valore, not burn it down."
post 2 | 440 words tl;dr: pax tells the vindicators to stuff it, and breaks the smugglers' promise to them by admitting he doesn't want the slaves to leave the city also, offers to keep isolt safe from the blame of the government for this mess |
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 8, 2018 14:13:16 GMT -6
N i L
Ω Aodh | Labor Slave Ω
"When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt."
~Honore de Balzac Ω
Many things were happening, many were talking one by one. Fireworks popped, sending colors in through the musty windows, discoloring the equines around him. He struggled to focus. His feelings, his thoughts, his emotions...his judgement.
Adari had his attention first, his ears folded tightly against his head. Bile rose in his throat at the mention of Adari’s life. He could understand her harshness, though he knew that wouldn’t get through to Isolt. It was hard to change one’s mind in a few minutes, let alone a night or even a week. Isolt’s mind would need to be changed over many moons, and many moons they did not have.
The stallion looked away when Adari mentioned him. Though the speech left his lips only moments ago, it felt like a dream. He would never have been able to say that without the vindicators there to give him confidence. The finned hippocampus garnered his attention next. Even her words were harsh towards Isolt, and frankly, Nil didn’t like it. Their scars were not lost on him, he saw the dragon burned onto their flanks or shoulders, he knew they knew what was it was on a personal level. But their harshness...it wouldn’t move her.
For a small moment, gentle words reached him. The old mare, Reija, had gone off to tend to the foals. His eyes softened, if not glazed over. That was a true kindness.
Isolt’s voice startled him as she spoke again, and his ruby gaze shifted to her once more. She might be convinced Aodh had saved her, but it did little for him. Sold by his own mother, beaten to a pit slave and because of his reluctance, sold as a servile. If Melia had not been murdered, perhaps he would have been singing the same tune as Isolt. But he couldn’t deny the back-breaking work. No set of blinders could keep him from seeing the luxury Aodh’s citizens were sitting in.
Head turned, eyes closed. He could barely listen to her. She needed no one to tell her how she should be, she did it enough to herself. He noted her moving for a moment, which caused him to glance back at his fellow slave.
Tears rolled down her face.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he couldn’t look at her. He was so incredibly torn. Leave, or stay by her side, if not to continue to convince her to escape.
His eyes stayed closed even as Eon decided to press on with their mission. Adari too, and even though he couldn’t look at anyone, an ear flicked in Adari’s direction as she spoke to him. His heart was pounding. Every bit of him urged him to go, to flee, to run. But that tiny thread that he had felt connected himself to Isolt kept him rooted. He felt silly, to feel tethered to an unwilling mare. But that seemed just it, the fact she allowed herself to be tethered to Aodh.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. You never cry, Nil.
A hoof rose, and then was planted back down, the words from Pax enough to freeze the scarred stallion in his place.
“Enough, you fucking Vindicators.”
Nil’s eyes went wide and he simply stared, ears forever folded back, focused on the creamy pegasus male. Crimson eyes flicked between Pax and Isolt as the pegasus spoke to her, and his heart fell. Damn, he had to agree with the male…
The best case scenario, in Nil’s eyes, would be to have Isolt be by his side. Not as his mare, but as a friend, and equal, who loved herself as much as she claimed Aodh loved her. But if Pax could protect her while allowing her to stay...then at least she had the protection he could not give.
“Go with him.” He blurted, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Stay with Aodh, but...by Alya’s stars...I pray you to find safety…” And with a respectful dip of his head, Nil turned from her. His eyes were on the door, and his hooves were ready. Even though he couldn’t keep his promise, due to Isolt’s inability to see the full truth...he figured he would have to come back for her someday...if she survived.
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Post by Artistic Pineapple on Jul 8, 2018 18:18:58 GMT -6
Reija | Smuggler "Enough,"
Pax's voice twisted Reija's ears towards the sound and away from the injured she was
working to bandage. She had been hoping he would speak up, nearly positive that his
words would motivate the timid mare. Though his foul language proved the smugglers
and vindicators were no team, she couldn't help but agree with what he said. She turned
to look at him as his voice began to rise, aware that he was breaking a promise.
Oh, but he was very clever to do so.
Reija couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips as Pax offered Isolt a place
to be free while also remaining in the city. She hoped it would work to convince the small
mare to leave the labor barracks. Would the entire plan be compromised if one or two
slaves remained in the city, freed? Reija could take that chance.
"Pax lives in the city," she said, voice barely above a whisper as the fireworks continued.
"And I do as well. We have remained hidden from sight for a long time. We can help
keep you safe, if you come with us," Reija stepped forward now, flanking Pax with calm eyes.
She planned to offer a place in her shop, where a back room sat vacant, aside from a bed.
But putting all of that out in the open right now would be too much for the scared slave.
"Here," reaching into her bag, Reija offered Isolt one of the sweet peaches with a smile.
"I know this is scary and the decision is a big one. Having something in your belly will help."
Post #3 | WC: 274 |
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Post by mariahwhy on Jul 15, 2018 20:42:25 GMT -6
Isolt | Labor Slave
Isolt watched, nerves still soaring, as Eon and Adari finally relented and turned away. Thy began gathering other slaves and ushering them towards the door. With whispers the slaves began filing out. The young mare turned to Nil. She didn't know what she expected from him. Why did she expect something from him? But he wouldn't even look at her. Half-heartedly she looked at Pax as he said her name. Her brows lifted, then knitted together in confusion. "What-" she began to interrupt, but allowed him to finish. The guards! She had completely forgotten about them in the excitement of the moment. Briefly her eyes flicked to the door. Had she been quicker to act and slipped out at the first whisper from the pale stallion she could have alerted the chevaliers. They would have dealt with this efficiently, and labor slaves would not be sneaking out of the barracks behind these criminals right now. But now it was too late. There was no way, even if she made a break for it, that she'd get past everyone. There were too many bodies blocking the door, and she figured the vindicators would be on high alert around her now anyway. If she placed one hoof out of line, they'd be on her. And Pax, as much as she disagreed with his mission to free the labor slaves, was now sticking his neck out for her. He was offering to take her in. But why? Certainly the chevaliers wouldn't harm her if she told them the truth. But deep down she knew that wasn't true. She remembered the half eaten body of the criminal, convicted but definitely innocent of the crime that ended him in the dragon's mouth. She didn't doubt that it could happen to her were they to find her here, alone, with all the other slaves having escaped. They'd praised her for not escaping through the hole blown through the wall during the crucible attack, but with no definite sign of smugglers or vindicators being left behind this time... who would they turn the blame on? She was staring at the small stallion, her mind slowly coming to conclusions. Nil stepped in, followed by Reija. When the peach was offered she looked blankly down at it. She was not hungry now, and felt once more like she was being treated like a child. But her emotions were about exhausted, and a labor slave never turned down food. Her rust colored teke appeared around the fruit and tugged it away, but she did not eat it. Isolt stared at it for a moment, before looking up at Pax, face set. It had been his words that had finally reached through to her. "I'm like you. I want to build Valore, not burn it down." Then why would he agree to remove all the horses that actually built the city? "I will go with you now, but I do not want to hide from the city. It will need me," she glared at the horses exiting the building, before turning an accusatory look to Pax and Reija, "once these criminals and traitors leave. I will return as soon as it's safe." She didn't know what "safe" really meant, and it better not take long. But she would worry about that later. For now she turned to the door, allowing herself to fall in line behind the other slaves, ironically feeling very much like when the chevaliers paraded them around. Her bridle sat heavy on her nose, and she rolled the bit with her tongue. Maybe there would still be a chance to break away and alert the guards once they were distracted with the next barracks...
(Post 4: 616 words)
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 16, 2018 9:49:35 GMT -6
N i L
Ω Aodh | Labor Slave Ω
"When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt."
~Honore de Balzac Ω
Everything he had heard evaporated, one single word lingering in his ears. It pounded against his eardrums, emphasizing the rhythm of his heartbeat. Had he heard her correctly?
Traitor. Traitor.
Yes...he had. That was why the word lingered and stung and ripped at his heart. It hurt so much more than any other word that had been thrown at him, and he had been called many a name in his life.
He couldn’t fathom why she would say that. About those willing to help them, about those in the same situation as her. About the foals, fillies and colts that could barely stand after the work they were forced to endure. About those who never made it back at night. They were all traitors.
And he was a traitor. A traitor to a city that used him, that watched others like him die. That never cared about his injuries, or anyone else's. Still, she was some martyr in all of this, wasn’t she...
He wasn’t sure if he should be sad or livid.
What had Aodh done for her that caused her to think so radically? Shaking his head, he knew if he thought about it more he would probably actually get angry. And that would literally help no one.
“We have to go. The longer we wait, the more likely we get found out.”
He would say nothing to her. Maybe she will come to a new realization once they were all gone and free...he could only hope.
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Post by Ribbon-Wren on Jul 16, 2018 10:30:34 GMT -6
Ida || Vindicator Soldier"Well, that settles it then." Ida said curtly. She noticed that one of the slaves, Nil, seemed offended by Isolt's words. Personally, she found Pax to have been more out of line. Isolt was stressed, so she would give her the benefit of the doubt. Pax on the other hand? Ugh. Leave it to the smugglers to put themselves on a pedestal and boast that they're better than everyone else. As if anyone purposefully living in Valore had any sort of sense. Smuggling out one slave at a time was honourable, but a slow process unlikely to make a difference in the bigger picture. Being a Vindicator on the other hand actually meant that they were able to make a lasting impact. The city wouldn't notice a few slaves gone each month. It would take moving their entire labour force to make them realize how much the lazy Aodhians relied on their slaves. Ida shot a foul look at Pax and Reija as she wound her way to the front of the crowd gathered by the door. "They're both probably just too much of a coward to bother leaving Valore to make a real difference in their cause," she thought bitterly, "and too wrapped up in the comforts of living as Valorian citizens."
Ida took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. No. Now was not the time to be angry at the Smugglers. They had a common goal, and it wasn't one that would be reached if they were all arguing. She could vent to her fellow vindicators about the smugglers back at the bunker, but for now they needed to work together. Pushing her bitter thoughts aside, she addressed the crowd. "Nil is right, we need to be far away before the guards even notice we were here. If everyone is ready to move, we should be on our way."
(Post 3: 314 words) |
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Post by Mad-Manx on Jul 17, 2018 1:10:25 GMT -6
Eshana vagabond | vindicator "Strong but exhausted."
Post: #2 | Word Count: 291
Eshana's nostrils flared as Pax's accusing words, her ears pinning as the threw the word Vindicator back at them like an insult. She did not trust the smugglers in the same way she trusted her comrades in arms, as despite their determination to do well by the slaves of Valore, she feared their misguided love for Aodh would cloud their judgement when push came to shove. Ensuring no harm came to the city that built itself upon the broken bodies of slaves was not their main priority that night.
"You would do well to remember you're not the only one here to have lived the life of a slave," Eshana hissed back, the words coming out harsher than she intended.
She forced her tongue to still after that, lapsing into silence as the others attempt to spur the more unwilling laborer to relent to the rescue. The fear of the unknown was a powerful one, and it was true that in her time as a slave she had been among the few to have been lucky enough to have had a prior life; a life that was not shackled with bits and chains. It had not seemed like much at the time, but speaking with others she now knew how powerful hope was, how much it meant to have another, better life, to compare it to.
Eshana uneasily shuffled on her hooves as the fireworks continued overhead; though for how long that would continue was anyone's guess. The Aodhians enjoyed their grandeur, but even they couldn't continue a show like this forever. She gave a nod in return to Ida's words, silent agreement to the urgency of the situation. They needed to move; now. Already enough time had been wasted bickering.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2018 15:23:16 GMT -6
Pax Pax took a steadying breath, careful not to show the irritation he was feeling, lest he ward Isolt off with the same anger the Vindicators had. It was a small victory, but one he would accept. He shot a grateful look to Nil, and nodded as his eyes fell on Isolt again. "Fair enough." He didn't trust her. Pax's well-documented paranoia had always served him well, and he remembered what it was like to be indoctrinated by this place. He'd once worshiped the structure of Valore too. He didn't have time to wonder how much of his love for his city was a result of that. "Stay close to me." He told Isolt, moving her and Nil with a gesture of his wings while the gold dragon clinging to his neck cocked her head curiously at their new company.
Eshana's anger didn't go unanswered: "Murdering trash." The comment was given out of the side of his mouth as he passed, his eyes on the door. He followed the pack into the courtyard again, the confused and gently woken crowd of labor slaves stumbling around him where he walked at Isolt's side.
post 3 | 192 words |
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Jul 17, 2018 19:25:42 GMT -6
N i L
Ω Aodh | Labor Slave Ω
"When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt."
~Honore de Balzac Ω
Nil shut out everything and everyone around him, though he moved as Pax intended him to move. He didn’t want to hear them bicker anymore. He didn’t want to know how much they all hated each other. He just wanted to escape with his life. He was not ready to join Alya in the stars, as romantic a thought that was.
For now, there were three scenarios going on in his mind, and all three were as intense as the next.
The first was freedom. Pure freedom. He could anticipate feeling wind, real wind, lashing against his hide as he ran faster than he ever had in his entire life, faster than any race he had ever run on these familiar Aodian streets. He tried to remember the trees. The sand. Sedo… Even though his time there had been brief, the lasting effect the Mullah had on him as a foal would never cease. He didn’t care what happened once they were outside of Valore. He’d thank them, and leave as fast as he could, as fast as his beating heart would allow. He felt his home was within that sandy realm of Sedo, beneath Alya’s eternal heavens, finally free from the prison he spent most of his life. He would finally be a part of Serora as an equal.
But then there were other scenarios, and he visibly shivered at the very thought of them.
The second, they were caught. And not just the slaves, but vindicator and smuggler alike. And that terrified him. If they were caught… these horses who risked their lives would die. He knew this for a fact. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen to those, like Eshana, who still bore the mark of Aodh on their hides. Would they be shoved back into the life of slavery, or would the kings' wyvern make a meal out of them? The to-be freed slaves could possibly get out of it if they all claimed they were forced to go. Make up some story. But even then...Nil wasn’t sure. And he hoped that this wouldn’t happen, as a particular mare would also be in danger…
The third scenario was even worse.
They were freed...except he was caught. He would die, he knew, at the claws of the wyvern. It was a vision that often haunted his dreams, being unable to help innocents. Hell, he couldn’t even help himself...and that made it more painful. He kept his gaze down, ruby eyes focused on the cobblestone floor.
He could only hope...only hope...they would live to see the sunrise the next day.
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Post by Mad-Manx on Jul 17, 2018 21:29:11 GMT -6
Eshana vagabond | vindicator "Strong but exhausted."
Post: #3 | Word Count: 488
"Murdering trash."
The insult flared a primal, burning fury in her chest, but with ears pinned Eshana allowed the comment to pass without incident. As though he had any right to talk, the King's Champion who had fought his own brethren in chains in order to receive such a title. It would have been easy to let the roar in her ears drown out her common sense, to bite back an equally vile retort. But not even that mattered now, not with so many lives at stake.
A steadying breathe quelled her desire lash out at the stallion, but only just.
"Eon, Adari," she muttered sharply, glancing to them. "Make sure everyone is out of the barracks and someone keep an eye on them. We'll only have one shot at getting everyone out of here."
Despite not speaking the words, she hoped they understood her message; keep an eye on them. Both the smugglers and some of the slaves had already shown their distaste for the Vindicator's work, and their work as spies had left them with keen eyes and sense. The last thing they needed was an indoctrinated slave slipping off to tell the Chevaliers, or the smugglers raising a fuss. Tonight, their work was too important.
"Ida, if you could come with me. We'll start at the far back of the barracks and work forward. Everyone else keep getting everyone out; we're not leaving anyone behind tonight."
Turning on her heel she strode to the furthest corners of the barracks, walking them with a practiced ease. Her loosely fitting cloak billowed around her legs as she walked, her saddlebags a heavy weight upon her flanks. Five years she had wasted away in those filthy barracks. Five years she had lived there, but never, never, would she have called it a home. She knew this place all too well; and hell if she wasn't going to enjoy this, just a little. Her eyes scanned for movement, but the corners were emptied; the majority of labourers compliant enough to follow their lead. Her comrades were taking care of ushering the rest hurriedly out of their vicinity. They needed to do this quickly.
Another deep breath.
The hardheadedness of the smugglers was infuriating. Eshana never had believed in merciless killing, but sometimes things had to be destroyed when the greater good demanded it. Slavery, of all things, at least deserved that. Their relationship with the smugglers was flawed at best, but a part of her did regret that tonight might severe their ties completely. Yet if the Vindicators continued their work like this, like their work tonight, one day there would be no need for smugglers; not when slaves ceased to exist in Aodh. If the smugglers couldn't see the benefit in that, the need for it, then so be it.
Eshana only hesitated momentarily as she met Ida's eyes, pulling the explosives from her pack.
"Let's get this done quickly."
~~~
Unbeknownst to smugglers and slaves alike, the Vindicators don't intend on simply emptying the labour slave barracks tonight;
They intend on blowing it sky high.
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Post by Ribbon-Wren on Jul 17, 2018 23:00:25 GMT -6
Ida || Vindicator Soldier
So many things could go wrong tonight.
But there was no time to dwell on "what ifs" now, Ida thought as she followed Eshana's winding path through the barracks. The familiar nervousness in the pit of her stomach was enough to bring her into a downward spiral if she focused on it for too long, so she pushed it aside. Her anxieties were strategically tucked away in her mind, to worry about later. The idiot smugglers and stubborn slaves were Adari and Eon's problem now, she reassured herself, and prayed to the gods that they wouldn't have too much trouble. As long as the smugglers were kept out of the way and had minimal chances to get them all killed, they were as good as gold.
At least her own mission was less stressful, she thought, if only marginally. Getting away from the tense energy and confused crowds did wonders for Ida's focus. Though each pop and crackle of the distant fireworks made her flinch, at least she now had room to breathe and to think. No distractions meant she could work as the efficient soldier she was trained to be. "Just breathe. You can do this."
Ida couldn't help but give Eshana a small smile the mare pulled explosives out of her pack. If everything worked without a hitch, the Aodhians would have no labour force to speak of, and no way to rebuild the damaged barracks. The idea of paying actual Valorian citizens do the reconstruction work probably wouldn't even cross their lazy minds. As Ida helped Eshana fasten the explosives strategically throughout the barracks, she could just imagine all the good that would come of this. If everything went according to plan, these barracks would be empty for a long, long time.
(post 4: 298 words)
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Post by kerarose on Jul 18, 2018 5:14:13 GMT -6
ADARIVindicator Specialist (Spy)
Adari heard Eshana's command, and nodded her head, to show she had heard. She knew that some of these slaves had been indoctrinated too well into Aodh's culture, and that some might try to warn the Chevaliers of their plans. She could not let that happen- ten years ago she had escaped, and the freedom she knew would prevent her from submitting to be branded and made a part of the labor force to rebuild what they destroyed tonight. She had escaped before the branding, and would not be marked as Aodhian property. She had another reason to be free, as well- if she were a slave, she could never free her children. She could not let them be caught.
She watched with keen eyes as some of the soon-to-be-freed muttered amongst themselves, and she picked up grumbles of unhappiness with her sharp ears. "Stay quiet," she hissed, pinning her ears as she wandered to the mumblers. "If we are caught, we will be killed. If you value your hide, for the love of Ignacio, hush."
She stole a glance over to Eshana and Ida, and saw the explosives planted. She scanned one last time for anyone hiding in the dark corners of the barracks, and, seeing none, began to herd the equines out the door. She kept a keen eye on Isolt- the little mare had shown her discomfort at being freed, and she refused to let the little mare ruin what had taken so long to plan.
Post 4, Word count: 253
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Post by Artistic Pineapple on Jul 18, 2018 8:31:31 GMT -6
 Reija | Smuggler
The hotheadedness of Pax and the unicorn vindicator would get them all caught, theold mare feared as the winged smuggler refused to keep his mouth shut. She shot him an uneasy glance when the words left the side of his mouth, hoping he would hold his tongue better. Reija was grateful the insult went unheard, or perhaps that the vindicator mare refused to respond. They were barely a team anymore, perhaps this was their last mission together at all. The vindicators lacked discretion, she thought bitterly. They hated Aodh so much, they were willing to destroy it all, violently. If a slave refused to leave, they would force her to go. They weren't kind,for their drive wasn't to help individuals, but to seek revenge for their own pains.Reija usually took up the rear of the group, a comforting presence to aid the weak and old... but the unicorn uttered orders for other vindicators to sweep the barracksfrom the back. With a sigh, she decided to comply. Helping the foals along, Reija cast a look behind herself. It was almost too dark to see the cloaked figures, butthe flashes of fireworks bursting illuminated their silhouettes. Were they sweeping
the barracks, or standing still? A chill ran up her spine."Pax," her legs felt light, adrenaline or fear beginning to course through her veins."We have to move, now." Her voice barely above a whisper, her teke lifting thefoals off the ground to ensure they kept up with the group. She met his eyes for amoment, pleading that he picked up the pace and didn't ask questions. Reija feared their possible plan, hoping she was incorrect for expecting theywere up to something. The memory of the attack on the Crucible sprang intoher mind. She had been at her shop, but the echo rang through the streets, the screams could be heard through her windows... There would be no stopping them now. Reija began to quicken the pace more, trying to keep her voice quiet as she urged everyone to move quickly and quietly.They needed to get as far away from the barracks as possible.Post #4 | WC 367
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