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Description

Hey Howdy Hey!

No time to waste! GOOO!!!!

Hume tried his best to wrap his mind around Argus' new plan. 'A mad dash?' He thought. 'This feels stupid somehow. And I still don't understand how the...what did he call it? The staff of Cidvec? is going to fix all our problems.' Hume sighed. 'But he right about one thing: we don't have a future if we escape, or if we stay. Whatever this staff is, it's our last chance.'

With new resolve in his heart, Hume takes a deep breath, and climbs down the cave wall, carefully trying not to make any noise. Argus had already made his way down--being much faster at climbing than Hume was--and was waiting in an abandoned building at the bottom; counting the guards.

'Okay, Hume. Go over the plan one more time. Step one, make our way down the wall. Easy enough.'

And indeed it was easier. For some unexplained reason, since the humans that captured him stripped him of his bandages, his skin hadn't felt tender. Hume descended onto a small cliff to catch his breath. He looked at his hands; still malformed and purple with several fingers missing. He closed them, and opened them up again several times--testing what was left of his dexterity. Still no pain. He smirked, and quickened his pace in excitement down the cave wall.

'Step two, find Argus.'

Argus had already planned out a signal for them to use. 3 clicks of the tongue meant that you made it down and were safe, 2 clicks meant there's a guard nearby so be careful, and 1 click was a signal to hide.

As soon as Hume reached the bottom, he clicked his tongue three times, and listened for a response. Out of the city came 2 clicks. Hume tensed. He spun around, looking for shadows and listening for sounds. He clutched the cave wall looking for something to hide in. He noticed a large crack, and drew toward it. Out of the town came a single click, and Hume's blood ran cold. He quickly squirmed into the cavity in the wall. He looked left, right, and listened. There seemed to be some kind of ruckus coming from the left. Hume listened closely.

"Who was the idiot guarding the monsters? I'll have their head!"

"T'was Gavin an' Conroy I think! Blasted fools must've been slackin' again!"

"It was an accident, Captain!"

"Yeah! We were only gone for a moment!"

"Enough! You know the rules! If you can't guard the dinner, you'll BE dinner!"

"No! Please! Spare us! No!! AAAAAAGH!!!"

Hume heard a terrible noise that made his flesh crawl. He closed his eyes, and covered his nose and mouth, trying not to retch. Whoever Gavin and Conroy were, they made no sound after that.

"Scramble the guard and find the rest of the meal, Derreck. Comb the basement and work your way up. They can't have gotten too far from there."

"Aye, Captain. You there! Take these two to the Kitchen. No good fer nothin' 'cept sausage now! Hahahaha!"

The sound of the guard drew closer and closer to the crack in the wall where Hume hid. Hume backed into the far end of the cavity to make sure the shadows covered him completely. An older man, covered in tattered clothes and ugly armor, walked briskly with two younger-looking men. All three had red armbands--Hume supposed it was to label who was part of the guard. They paid no attention to Hume, and in a few moments, were gone.

Hume poked his head out. The city was bright, yet the streets were presently uninhabited. From out of the city came 3 clicks. Hume stepped lively into the street, and pressed himself into the wall of a building. He clicked 4 times. This meant: "where are you?"

Hume looked up. Argus poked his light out of the second floor of a white two story building just across from Hume, waved it a couple of times, then brought it back in. Hume nodded, then ran to the first story window of the abandoned building, and climbed inside. Then, he hurriedly climbed a ladder that led him to the upper floor, where Argus was waiting.

"Good. You made it." He whispered. Hume nodded, then gestured toward the window.

"Right. It seems we're in luck. That ruckus you heard led most of the guard into the tunnels. There are still a few patrolling the city though. I counted about ten of them. If we head straight through this part of the city though, there should be a path that leads directly to the island. Then comes the tricky part."

Hume nodded again. His heart was beating quickly now. He clutched his chest--trying to get it to slow down. Argus looked at him in concern, and put a tentacle on his shoulder in comfort.

"Well," Argus whispered again "here we go."

And with that, began step three: navigate through the city, and onto the island path.

Argus and Hume quickly and quietly climbed down to the first floor of the building. Argus peeked his head out of the door for a moment, then slipped back inside. He clicked his tongue once, and ducked out of sight. Hume did the same. Footsteps approached the house, then left as soon as they arrived. Argus stood up again, and peeked once more out of the door. Then he turned towards Hume, and nodded. Hume nodded as well, and they tiptoed into the streets.

They weaved through buildings, occasionally running into abandoned buildings to avoid guards until at last, they reached the end of the city. Hume decided to cautiously run down the path first. He made it a few paces onto the path, then stopped, and looked around. Nothing moved. He clicked three times at Argus, who nodded, and walked swiftly toward Hume.

They quickened their pace across the path. Hume was actually feeling a little optimistic now, but didn't dare slow down. They were about a third of the way on to the path when all of the lights in the city suddenly shut off--leaving Argus as the only light source in the cave apart from the cracks of sunlight in the ceiling. Gasps and cries of shock rang out of the blackened city. Then, an alarm blasted across the cave, making Argus' and Hume's ears ring. The lights of the city suddenly flickered on again--only this time they were red; the same hue of red as the armbands of the guards.

A flood of guards erupted from the tunnels of the cave walls. All eyes were on Argus and Hume, who were frozen in fear.

"There they are! Get them!"

Argus snapped out of his fear-induced stupor, and turned toward Hume, still frozen. "Run!" He yelled. "RUN!"

Letting adrenaline overtake them both, Hume and Argus spun around, and ran for their lives. As Argus ran, he kept his eyes fixed upon the guards who were catching up to them quicker than he anticipated. But Hume's eyes fixed themselves upon the island--now indeed, their only way to freedom.

Description

Hey Howdy Hey!

No time to waste! GOOO!!!!

Hume tried his best to wrap his mind around Argus' new plan. 'A mad dash?' He thought. 'This feels stupid somehow. And I still don't understand how the...what did he call it? The staff of Cidvec? is going to fix all our problems.' Hume sighed. 'But he right about one thing: we don't have a future if we escape, or if we stay. Whatever this staff is, it's our last chance.'

With new resolve in his heart, Hume takes a deep breath, and climbs down the cave wall, carefully trying not to make any noise. Argus had already made his way down--being much faster at climbing than Hume was--and was waiting in an abandoned building at the bottom; counting the guards.

'Okay, Hume. Go over the plan one more time. Step one, make our way down the wall. Easy enough.'

And indeed it was easier. For some unexplained reason, since the humans that captured him stripped him of his bandages, his skin hadn't felt tender. Hume descended onto a small cliff to catch his breath. He looked at his hands; still malformed and purple with several fingers missing. He closed them, and opened them up again several times--testing what was left of his dexterity. Still no pain. He smirked, and quickened his pace in excitement down the cave wall.

'Step two, find Argus.'

Argus had already planned out a signal for them to use. 3 clicks of the tongue meant that you made it down and were safe, 2 clicks meant there's a guard nearby so be careful, and 1 click was a signal to hide.

As soon as Hume reached the bottom, he clicked his tongue three times, and listened for a response. Out of the city came 2 clicks. Hume tensed. He spun around, looking for shadows and listening for sounds. He clutched the cave wall looking for something to hide in. He noticed a large crack, and drew toward it. Out of the town came a single click, and Hume's blood ran cold. He quickly squirmed into the cavity in the wall. He looked left, right, and listened. There seemed to be some kind of ruckus coming from the left. Hume listened closely.

"Who was the idiot guarding the monsters? I'll have their head!"

"T'was Gavin an' Conroy I think! Blasted fools must've been slackin' again!"

"It was an accident, Captain!"

"Yeah! We were only gone for a moment!"

"Enough! You know the rules! If you can't guard the dinner, you'll BE dinner!"

"No! Please! Spare us! No!! AAAAAAGH!!!"

Hume heard a terrible noise that made his flesh crawl. He closed his eyes, and covered his nose and mouth, trying not to retch. Whoever Gavin and Conroy were, they made no sound after that.

"Scramble the guard and find the rest of the meal, Derreck. Comb the basement and work your way up. They can't have gotten too far from there."

"Aye, Captain. You there! Take these two to the Kitchen. No good fer nothin' 'cept sausage now! Hahahaha!"

The sound of the guard drew closer and closer to the crack in the wall where Hume hid. Hume backed into the far end of the cavity to make sure the shadows covered him completely. An older man, covered in tattered clothes and ugly armor, walked briskly with two younger-looking men. All three had red armbands--Hume supposed it was to label who was part of the guard. They paid no attention to Hume, and in a few moments, were gone.

Hume poked his head out. The city was bright, yet the streets were presently uninhabited. From out of the city came 3 clicks. Hume stepped lively into the street, and pressed himself into the wall of a building. He clicked 4 times. This meant: "where are you?"

Hume looked up. Argus poked his light out of the second floor of a white two story building just across from Hume, waved it a couple of times, then brought it back in. Hume nodded, then ran to the first story window of the abandoned building, and climbed inside. Then, he hurriedly climbed a ladder that led him to the upper floor, where Argus was waiting.

"Good. You made it." He whispered. Hume nodded, then gestured toward the window.

"Right. It seems we're in luck. That ruckus you heard led most of the guard into the tunnels. There are still a few patrolling the city though. I counted about ten of them. If we head straight through this part of the city though, there should be a path that leads directly to the island. Then comes the tricky part."

Hume nodded again. His heart was beating quickly now. He clutched his chest--trying to get it to slow down. Argus looked at him in concern, and put a tentacle on his shoulder in comfort.

"Well," Argus whispered again "here we go."

And with that, began step three: navigate through the city, and onto the island path.

Argus and Hume quickly and quietly climbed down to the first floor of the building. Argus peeked his head out of the door for a moment, then slipped back inside. He clicked his tongue once, and ducked out of sight. Hume did the same. Footsteps approached the house, then left as soon as they arrived. Argus stood up again, and peeked once more out of the door. Then he turned towards Hume, and nodded. Hume nodded as well, and they tiptoed into the streets.

They weaved through buildings, occasionally running into abandoned buildings to avoid guards until at last, they reached the end of the city. Hume decided to cautiously run down the path first. He made it a few paces onto the path, then stopped, and looked around. Nothing moved. He clicked three times at Argus, who nodded, and walked swiftly toward Hume.

They quickened their pace across the path. Hume was actually feeling a little optimistic now, but didn't dare slow down. They were about a third of the way on to the path when all of the lights in the city suddenly shut off--leaving Argus as the only light source in the cave apart from the cracks of sunlight in the ceiling. Gasps and cries of shock rang out of the blackened city. Then, an alarm blasted across the cave, making Argus' and Hume's ears ring. The lights of the city suddenly flickered on again--only this time they were red; the same hue of red as the armbands of the guards.

A flood of guards erupted from the tunnels of the cave walls. All eyes were on Argus and Hume, who were frozen in fear.

"There they are! Get them!"

Argus snapped out of his fear-induced stupor, and turned toward Hume, still frozen. "Run!" He yelled. "RUN!"

Letting adrenaline overtake them both, Hume and Argus spun around, and ran for their lives. As Argus ran, he kept his eyes fixed upon the guards who were catching up to them quicker than he anticipated. But Hume's eyes fixed themselves upon the island--now indeed, their only way to freedom.