65th of Searing, 120
There was no time. Arkash had to go. It wouldn't be long before the Hollows were upon him to deliver his penalty. If he dawdled, he'd meet a grizzly end to some mindless golem by the order of an argent. Cojack? Cojack had told him to go, to flee to the woods beyond the walls and wait for his arrival.
In truth, Arkash worried for his father. Traveling through lower Nivenhain was dangerous for a lot of people, as thugs and thieves waited in most alleys. Traveling through Lower Nivenhain at night was significantly worse, and traveling through Lower Nivenhain at night alone was the worst of all. Arkash knew his way around, he evolved with the streets while Cojack withered in his bed for years. Cojack was frail, unarmed, and alone. For that, he deeply worried about the horse and the task that awaited him.
But, Arkash had done his part a hundred times over. He'd devoted his entire life to the cause of immigrating himself and what was left of his family from the rotten city. His devotion might have cost him his life yet. For that, Cojack could manage one un-aided walk for the sake of both their lives, couldn't he? He had to. They were out of options and out of time.
So, Arkash ran. They made use of the fact that only Arkash had hurt the Thompson Brothers, it was only his head that the Argents would want. He was also faster than the withered horse, so, he ran ahead. He would wait in the forests that he brought Cojack to, then they would escape the country together on foot. It was dangerous, and neither of them knew a thing about surviving in the wild. But, the further they got from Lorien, the warmer it would get, and the easier it would be for Arkash to survive. Food? they could try and make it to the next village and stock up between trips.
His plan came together while he ran, and he considered their options. Arkash was capable of going far longer without food than humans if he wasn't active, which worked to their advantage. Additionally, he had Brodie's knife now. He could use that as a valuable tool for fieldcraft... Like... Cutting twigs? He didn't know what he'd do with it yet, but it didn't matter. At worst, it would serve as a deterrent to any highwaymen he encountered... He hoped.
The more the young Rathari thought, the darker his outlook became. Furthermore, there was the issue of the Hollows. What if the agents sent the golems to kill him on the road once they discovered he was gone?
Arkash reached into his pocket and drew his cowl before he wrapped it around his head. It couldn't cover his mouth, as his head was too big. But, it could possibly help conceal his identity...? Arkash removed the cowl while he ran and stuffed it back in his pocket. No, he was probably the only talking lizard in all of Lorien. Id didn't matter how well he covered himself up at that point. If he was seen, he'd be recognized.
Would he have a bounty? Would people hunt him down? All he'd done was bite the arm of a human from a higher caste. Would they really put a bounty on him? No, they'd just send hollows. Arkash didn't know, the future was so uncertain.
The only thing he found comfort in was his legs. He'd been running for nearly twenty minutes now, and he wasn't particularly tired. As long as he didn't encounter a hill, which he knew he wouldn't, he would be able to run another ten minutes or so before he needed a break, he imagined. Additionally, the movement generated heat in his ectothermic body, which allowed him to keep going through the chilly Rien night with relative comfort.
One foot in front of the other, Arkash propelled his meager weight down the streets. His first stop eventually, came and he paused to breathe. Another twenty minutes of running saw him pause again. Every stretch of road that Arkash ran drained his stamina more and more. Before long, his legs burned, his chest ached and his head was light.
Arkash put his hands to the back of his head and directed his gaze upward as he walked and stretched. The position of his neck opened his lungs for faster recovery; a trick that Barry had shown him during his work.
As he wandered with an almost absent-minded waddle, Arkash paused as a sound caught his attention. His head turned to the direction that it came from; an alleyway. Suspicious, Arkash hurried past and rushed his recovery by drawing deep breaths. That was when the high pitched metallic screech of a Hollow rang in his ears and curdled his blood.
At once, Arkash froze up, then turned around to face the source. There they were, in the alley he'd passed. Three hulking golems, beasts of magic without true life. The same sorts of creatures Arkash had slaved beside for the majority of his life; they were there to kill him. All three wielded weapons. In the hands of two were broadswords, and the middle carried a large war hammer.
Arkash could do little but shake in fear as the effects of the roar rattled him to the bone. All his survival instincts fired up as the beast charged toward him. In a sudden burst, Arkash turned and bolted down the street. For a few moments, he could forget all his fatigue and the strain in his legs.
His lungs were torn up, his heart was beating like a drum in his ears, He had to escape. He wouldn't die to the same creatures that had killed Liu and Jerry. He wouldn't meet their fate.
Arkash skidded as he turned the corner, only to stop himself as he gripped the ground with his toe-claws, and sharpened his turn. The three golems were hot on his heels, but couldn't turn quite as fast. Arkash was faster than them! But he couldn't keep that speed up; he was exhausted. While he ran, he damned the coincidence. Why did they have to find him while he was tired? Why not half an hour ago?
Regardless, the Rath bared his teeth, and pushed his body as hard as he could. His throat was in pieces, and the taste and smell of blood stained his senses. The corners of his vision began to go dark, and his body began to give up. Every step made his legs feel heavier and heavier. No matter where Arkash turned his focus, intense pain wracked his form.
Still, his heart thrummed with fear. It was the sort of intense dread that allowed him to push through the pain for the sake of his life. The young rathari was akin to the game the nobles hunted, and the golem's screech was the blast of the hunting horn.
Ultimately, it didn't matter how badly the Rathari wanted to live. The golems didn't feel tired, they didn't eat, they didn't sleep. They would catch him, break him, and finally end his life.
He couldn't last. Hoping to outrun the Hollows, however fast he was, was ultimately futile. Their endurance was virtually infinite, and Arkash had exhausted his maximum so severely that his head span. He finally slowed to a halt and looked over his shoulder to see the three golems approaching. Another loud, piercing shriek shook him to his core as the monsters closed the gap faster and faster.
The Rathari could barely stand. He straightened his back and tried to fill his lungs in an effort to recover, but he stumbled and fell to the wall. The world span, and in a second, the monsters were upon him.
Mercilessly, the middle swung its hammer in a fashion akin to how Arkash had seen the creatures chop down trees, and the head collided with his stomach. A dull crack sounded as his lowermost ribs gave way to the blunt force and broke. Arkash flew back a foot or two and hit the ground with all the air in his lungs robbed. Hard, breathless coughs saw blood spill onto his palette. He couldn't breathe.
Adrenaline had long since flooded his system and acted as a natural painkiller, which prevented the majority of the pain of his injury from clouding his judgment, but only the majority. Everything hurt, and his lungs weren't working properly, likely due to the paralyzed state of his diaphragm. It didn't matter. He couldn't take another hit like that.
The creature was upon him again. It lifted its hammer overhead and aimed at the floored lizard. Arkash could barely move but pushed to the right in a lazy effort to avoid the strike... Too late. His left arm shattered as the head of the hammer crashed into his joint and completely mangled the limb. Shards of broken bones poked through his scales and continued to push from his appendage as he forced the limb to move in a desperate, anguished writhe.
He couldn't scream, let alone beg mercy. Even if he could, his cries would fall on deaf ears. That didn't stop the monsters from screaming their piercing cries, however.
Still unable to breathe, the Rathari's vision began to darken. More blood forced its way from his throat as he coughed, which confirmed his suspicions. At least one of his lungs was punctured, likely with one of his ribs.
A bright flash of white claimed his left eye as the two sword-wielding hollows catch up to him. His whole head jolts with the strike to his head and leaves him bleeding. A sharp, searing pain coursed through his body as he was impaled somewhere else, but consciousness had slipped so far away from him with his inability to breathe that he could barely feel it.
As Arkash began to close his one good eye, the muffled sounds of clashing steel met his ears and brief fiery flashes caught his eye before he fell into darkness.
There was no time. Arkash had to go. It wouldn't be long before the Hollows were upon him to deliver his penalty. If he dawdled, he'd meet a grizzly end to some mindless golem by the order of an argent. Cojack? Cojack had told him to go, to flee to the woods beyond the walls and wait for his arrival.
In truth, Arkash worried for his father. Traveling through lower Nivenhain was dangerous for a lot of people, as thugs and thieves waited in most alleys. Traveling through Lower Nivenhain at night was significantly worse, and traveling through Lower Nivenhain at night alone was the worst of all. Arkash knew his way around, he evolved with the streets while Cojack withered in his bed for years. Cojack was frail, unarmed, and alone. For that, he deeply worried about the horse and the task that awaited him.
But, Arkash had done his part a hundred times over. He'd devoted his entire life to the cause of immigrating himself and what was left of his family from the rotten city. His devotion might have cost him his life yet. For that, Cojack could manage one un-aided walk for the sake of both their lives, couldn't he? He had to. They were out of options and out of time.
So, Arkash ran. They made use of the fact that only Arkash had hurt the Thompson Brothers, it was only his head that the Argents would want. He was also faster than the withered horse, so, he ran ahead. He would wait in the forests that he brought Cojack to, then they would escape the country together on foot. It was dangerous, and neither of them knew a thing about surviving in the wild. But, the further they got from Lorien, the warmer it would get, and the easier it would be for Arkash to survive. Food? they could try and make it to the next village and stock up between trips.
His plan came together while he ran, and he considered their options. Arkash was capable of going far longer without food than humans if he wasn't active, which worked to their advantage. Additionally, he had Brodie's knife now. He could use that as a valuable tool for fieldcraft... Like... Cutting twigs? He didn't know what he'd do with it yet, but it didn't matter. At worst, it would serve as a deterrent to any highwaymen he encountered... He hoped.
The more the young Rathari thought, the darker his outlook became. Furthermore, there was the issue of the Hollows. What if the agents sent the golems to kill him on the road once they discovered he was gone?
Arkash reached into his pocket and drew his cowl before he wrapped it around his head. It couldn't cover his mouth, as his head was too big. But, it could possibly help conceal his identity...? Arkash removed the cowl while he ran and stuffed it back in his pocket. No, he was probably the only talking lizard in all of Lorien. Id didn't matter how well he covered himself up at that point. If he was seen, he'd be recognized.
Would he have a bounty? Would people hunt him down? All he'd done was bite the arm of a human from a higher caste. Would they really put a bounty on him? No, they'd just send hollows. Arkash didn't know, the future was so uncertain.
The only thing he found comfort in was his legs. He'd been running for nearly twenty minutes now, and he wasn't particularly tired. As long as he didn't encounter a hill, which he knew he wouldn't, he would be able to run another ten minutes or so before he needed a break, he imagined. Additionally, the movement generated heat in his ectothermic body, which allowed him to keep going through the chilly Rien night with relative comfort.
One foot in front of the other, Arkash propelled his meager weight down the streets. His first stop eventually, came and he paused to breathe. Another twenty minutes of running saw him pause again. Every stretch of road that Arkash ran drained his stamina more and more. Before long, his legs burned, his chest ached and his head was light.
Arkash put his hands to the back of his head and directed his gaze upward as he walked and stretched. The position of his neck opened his lungs for faster recovery; a trick that Barry had shown him during his work.
As he wandered with an almost absent-minded waddle, Arkash paused as a sound caught his attention. His head turned to the direction that it came from; an alleyway. Suspicious, Arkash hurried past and rushed his recovery by drawing deep breaths. That was when the high pitched metallic screech of a Hollow rang in his ears and curdled his blood.
At once, Arkash froze up, then turned around to face the source. There they were, in the alley he'd passed. Three hulking golems, beasts of magic without true life. The same sorts of creatures Arkash had slaved beside for the majority of his life; they were there to kill him. All three wielded weapons. In the hands of two were broadswords, and the middle carried a large war hammer.
Arkash could do little but shake in fear as the effects of the roar rattled him to the bone. All his survival instincts fired up as the beast charged toward him. In a sudden burst, Arkash turned and bolted down the street. For a few moments, he could forget all his fatigue and the strain in his legs.
His lungs were torn up, his heart was beating like a drum in his ears, He had to escape. He wouldn't die to the same creatures that had killed Liu and Jerry. He wouldn't meet their fate.
Arkash skidded as he turned the corner, only to stop himself as he gripped the ground with his toe-claws, and sharpened his turn. The three golems were hot on his heels, but couldn't turn quite as fast. Arkash was faster than them! But he couldn't keep that speed up; he was exhausted. While he ran, he damned the coincidence. Why did they have to find him while he was tired? Why not half an hour ago?
Regardless, the Rath bared his teeth, and pushed his body as hard as he could. His throat was in pieces, and the taste and smell of blood stained his senses. The corners of his vision began to go dark, and his body began to give up. Every step made his legs feel heavier and heavier. No matter where Arkash turned his focus, intense pain wracked his form.
Still, his heart thrummed with fear. It was the sort of intense dread that allowed him to push through the pain for the sake of his life. The young rathari was akin to the game the nobles hunted, and the golem's screech was the blast of the hunting horn.
Ultimately, it didn't matter how badly the Rathari wanted to live. The golems didn't feel tired, they didn't eat, they didn't sleep. They would catch him, break him, and finally end his life.
He couldn't last. Hoping to outrun the Hollows, however fast he was, was ultimately futile. Their endurance was virtually infinite, and Arkash had exhausted his maximum so severely that his head span. He finally slowed to a halt and looked over his shoulder to see the three golems approaching. Another loud, piercing shriek shook him to his core as the monsters closed the gap faster and faster.
The Rathari could barely stand. He straightened his back and tried to fill his lungs in an effort to recover, but he stumbled and fell to the wall. The world span, and in a second, the monsters were upon him.
Mercilessly, the middle swung its hammer in a fashion akin to how Arkash had seen the creatures chop down trees, and the head collided with his stomach. A dull crack sounded as his lowermost ribs gave way to the blunt force and broke. Arkash flew back a foot or two and hit the ground with all the air in his lungs robbed. Hard, breathless coughs saw blood spill onto his palette. He couldn't breathe.
Adrenaline had long since flooded his system and acted as a natural painkiller, which prevented the majority of the pain of his injury from clouding his judgment, but only the majority. Everything hurt, and his lungs weren't working properly, likely due to the paralyzed state of his diaphragm. It didn't matter. He couldn't take another hit like that.
The creature was upon him again. It lifted its hammer overhead and aimed at the floored lizard. Arkash could barely move but pushed to the right in a lazy effort to avoid the strike... Too late. His left arm shattered as the head of the hammer crashed into his joint and completely mangled the limb. Shards of broken bones poked through his scales and continued to push from his appendage as he forced the limb to move in a desperate, anguished writhe.
He couldn't scream, let alone beg mercy. Even if he could, his cries would fall on deaf ears. That didn't stop the monsters from screaming their piercing cries, however.
Still unable to breathe, the Rathari's vision began to darken. More blood forced its way from his throat as he coughed, which confirmed his suspicions. At least one of his lungs was punctured, likely with one of his ribs.
A bright flash of white claimed his left eye as the two sword-wielding hollows catch up to him. His whole head jolts with the strike to his head and leaves him bleeding. A sharp, searing pain coursed through his body as he was impaled somewhere else, but consciousness had slipped so far away from him with his inability to breathe that he could barely feel it.
As Arkash began to close his one good eye, the muffled sounds of clashing steel met his ears and brief fiery flashes caught his eye before he fell into darkness.
