Open Chronicles Falling Walls[Prison Break]

[Maja]

The Black Keep - Southern Cortosi Coast

Maja stared through the small slit in her cell door, the remaining pupil of what most people thought was her only good eye staring straight ahead even as the Black Clad Guard threw a tray of food through the opening.

"Spooky bitch, hasn't said a word all day."​

A laugh echoed out form the hallway, muffled by the thick walls and barely resounding in the reaches of her cell. She didn't move as she heard it, though she knew exactly who it came from. Jessik, a Guard that had made his home in the Black Keep almost as long as she had. He was kinder than the others, though not by much.

"She hasn't said a word in twenty years, kid. Get used to it."​

Maja could see a pair of eyes stare back at her through the slot, meeting her gaze for a few moments before it slowly pulled away, as though looking for too long would cause the man to explode. Footsteps rang out, but the small slit remained open.

Had he forgotten?

Lips thinned for just the briefest moment, a breath filling her lungs as she looked down at the rock by her side. The cobble had been there for a thousand years, but for the last two decades it had been hers. She had slowly ground it down, slowly cut into it, and now it was ready. A breath filled her lungs, and then her hand slid over the symbol she had carved in the rock.

No one had ever escaped the Black Keep before, those that had dreamed of it all ended up dead or thrown into some further depth. A part of her believed it would be the same for her, but after twenty years...she was ready to find out.

Maja took one final breath, and then an explosion rocked the Black Keep.

Chaos erupted.

 

[Salmar Adric]

Salmar sat with his eyes closed as a tray of food clattered to the floor next to him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know what foods were on the plate. Over the past year or so that he had been in this prison the food had never changed much. He was slightly hungry but made no attempt to move and begin eating. Just like every day before this one he would wait as long as he could before he touched his food. Every item of food on his tray and even the tray itself provided him with a wealth of new glyphs to work with. Eating the food would remove the precious glyphs that they brought with them. Including some glyphs he would need whenever the day came that he would attempt to break out of his cell.

Breaking out of his cell was something Salmar was confident he could do. Mainly on account of the fact that he had almost full access to his magical capabilities. Though one shouldn't think this implies stupidity on the part of the prison staff. As a matter of fact the prison had handled Salmar quite well. The people that caught him had managed to deduce that his magic had to due with him speaking. Though the rare and unusual nature of his magic meant they had no other knowledge of it. So naturally when the prison placed a magic seal on his throat to prevent him from speaking, they quite reasonably believed that would prevent him from using magic. Though they had failed to account for the fact that his magic was much more than just his voice. His voice and use of spoken words was simply a powerful conduit for his magic. So while his magic was now much weaker from the seal, it was also still very much usable.

In its weakened state his magic wouldn't be able to break the door of his cell. However it would be able to removed the seal on his throat. Though only with enough time and preparation to find the right glyphs and prepare the right phrase for the job. Luckily, the one thing you have the most of in a prison is time. Salmar had used his entire time in his cell for this purpose. Every single day spent sifting through the glyphs in the room. Lithomancy was an art that took time after all and in a situation like his he needed to be as careful as possible. He'd go over it again in his head as he waited. He needed to wait for just the right day to set his plan in motion. Salmar knew little of the prison that he was being held in, but was confident that after getting out of his cell he wouldn't be able to escape the rest of the prison. At least not without a bit of help from someone else. With no way to communicate with the other prisoners he simply had to wait. Waiting every single day for someone else to attempt to escape.

As he waited he thought back to how he had gotten himself into the prison in the first place. An incredibly wealthy Anirian of unknown identity had purchased his services. They had wanted an outsider who had never once been to Vel Anir and went as far as Alliria to find Salmar. What exactly else had prompted them to hire him for the job he never knew. It was supposed to be a simple assassination job that paid well and would cover any traveling expenses to Vel Anir and back. Naturally Salmar took the job. He had done similar jobs before. Some merchants were known to play quite dirty at times, but none ever offered as much as his mysterious contractor had. However as he was about to finish his job, the unplanned appearance of a particularly strong Dreadlord ruined everything. It wasn't long after that Salmar was arrested and placed in the prison. As he thought back on the events of that day something suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts. A strong vibration shook his entire cell along with the sound of an explosion.

Just as quickly as the explosion came Salmar had begun to spring into action. It seemed his chance at freedom had arrived at he had to act quickly if he wanted to seize it. He would need a moments time to prepare his spell so he got to work immediately. His eyes opened quickly and darted around the room quickly as he began to rapidly search for glyphs. Looking towards the tray of food his eyes found the first one, Real. After that came the second, Edible. The rest followed after in a similar fashion. Leg. Emotionless. Abyss. Slice. Empty. Stone. Embattled. Accomplice. Labyrinth. The glyphs came together to create a phrase Release Seal as he used his finger to trace each one on his throat. The glyphs melded together to create a new shape all their own as he applied impulse. A sharp burning sensation came across his neck as the seal burned in response. The burning got stronger and stronger making Salmar wonder if it might burn straight through him, but as soon as it came it was gone.

With his seal broken and the sounds of chaos breaking out on the other side of the cell door Salmar quickly rose to his feet. He moved quickly towards the door, placing his hands on it securely. Repeating the process again he searched through the glyphs. This time looking to form a much longer phrase. Though he had such a long time to prepare and it didn't take him long to accomplish his goal. "Break this door into pieces!" He'd shout, his voice croaky and dry from such a long time not being used. Energy would surge through his body and out of his mouth then towards the door. Now it would only take luck for the door to break and reveal whatever was going on behind it.

 

[Maja]

Salmar Adric

"Thank you." She whispered into the Guards ear as the snapping of bone echoed out within the hallway.

Dust and debris still floated within the air, a drab cloud of gray concealing the two figures. Maja clutched the young man that had called her a mute, one arm holding him while her other hand slowly drew away from his chest. Her fingers seem to glow as she pulled back her palm, a wisp of blue surrounding her flesh as the man gaped at her in horror.

Shouting echoed at both ends of the hall, some from guards, some from other prisoners. An alarm bells rang somewhere in the distance, but none of that mattered to Maja. The former Dreadlord took a step back, letting the guard fall to the ground with a muted thud.

Her fingers slowly unfurled, and the strange blue most crawled up her arm and permeated her flesh.

Maja parted her lips, clearly intending to speak when just behind her the clatter of a metal door hitting stone echoed out. Her head whipped back, glancing at the now open door as the small gust of wind threw away some of the dust. Her eyes widened in shock, though narrowed as she saw a Guard rush forward and grab the door, intending to shut it before Salmar could escape. The former Dreadlord raised a hand, her hand crushing into a fist.

There was a loud crack of bone, and then suddenly the Guard's chest exploded outward. A sickening guttering trill echoing through the hall as some sort of eight legged creature crawled from the man's fallen corpse just a second later.

Maja stepped forward, her gaze shifting into the cell that had just been forced open as the newly birthed monstrosity began to crawl towards her. "Escape?"

It was an offer as much as it was a query.

 

[Salmar Adric]

Maja

Salmar braced himself as the energy from his words surged into the door. It rumbled in its frame as the magic filled it and attempted to shatter it. Though the door was much too large and much too durable to be broken into pieces. The spell phrase was, however, much too long and powerful to give up so easily in its efforts. So luckily for Salmar even though the door wouldn't break, its lock did. With the lock gone the force of the magic blew the door wide open.

With a loud bang the door slammed into one of the stone walls of the now visible hallway. Finally Salmar was one step closer to being free again. Though just as soon as the door was opened it was then being closed again. It seemed a guard was unfortunately rather close to Salmar's cell when the door opened. The man spared no time in grabbing the door and attempting to shut it. Not willing to so easily give up his shot at freedom Salmar began to act. With his mouth slightly opened and poised to cast a spell, he was taken by surprise when the man's chest burst. He only became more surprised when not long after a creature began to emerge from the now lifeless guard.

Salmar's hands would curl into fists as a white haired woman came into view in the hallway. Quickly after realizing she was not another guard they would relax. Then the woman spoke and it became evident that all of this was her doing. Though luckily it seemed she wasn't opposed to the idea of someone else escaping alongside her. Salmar would nod his head while stepping out into the hallway. As he did so a small line of red burning energy would trace through the air in front of his face. Quickly spelling out the word 'Yes' which would linger for a bit before disappearing. Not long after the previous word dissipated the energy would appear again. 'It seems I owe you.' The line would quickly write the words into the air as the mage motioned to the strange creature the woman had made. 'I'll return the favor if we can escape.' He would finish tracing out his message as he looked down the hall. It certainly seemed they had quite some work ahead of them to escape. Strangely though Salmar felt confident in the pair's chance of getting out.

 

[Maja]

Salmar Adric

Maja watched the words form in the air with mild curiosity.

She had been trapped in her cell for two decades, and before then never encountered something quite like this. The former Dreadlord blinked, reading quickly before tilting her head in a quick nod of acknowledgement. She did not feel owed by the man, but if she thought he had incurred some sort of debt then she would not deny it.

Right now every little advantage would help. They were stuck inside one of the greatest prisons in the world. Walls, guards, mages, and things she had not even thought of still stood in their way. The Black Keep was a maze into itself, and they had to find a way out.

The clattering of metal boots on stone rang out ahead, and Maja quickly turned her attention back towards the task at hand. "We must move quickly."

She told the man as the strange spider-like creature crawled onto her legs and up her back. It nestled itself against her spine, furling around her form a she stepped forward and picked up the Guards sword from in front of his corpse.

"Halt!"

Three Guards broke through the wall of smoke and debris, the dust starting to settle as the black clad guards brandished their spears towards the two prisoners.

 

[Salmar Adric]

Maja

The sound of approaching footsteps tipped Salmar off to the pair's new company before he caught sight of them. It seemed the breaking out of the two prisoners had managed to stir up quite a smokescreen which obscured his vision of the rest of the hall. He'd watch the three guards come into view, their spears at the ready. They certainly meant business and Salmar figured they weren't opposed to injuring the prisoners in order to recapture them. Though this didn't necessarily bother the lithomancer. Afterall, he was more than willing to injure them all if it gained him his freedom.

Taking a step forward Salmar would place a hand on his new companion's shoulder motioning for her to stay back. He'd take a step past her not necessarily to protect her, he figured she didn't really need his protecting, but more to prevent her from getting caught in his spell. For as much precision as lithomancy required it was also rather unpredictable. Salmar had been able to collect glyphs to create a suitable phrase for the situation. It's spell would hopefully be effective against the guards, but could also hurt her if she was in its path.

With the other mage hopefully staying behind him Salmar would launch his spell into action. "Cold Fog." He would say filling the phrase with an force impulse. As he spoke the words would trace into the air a foot in front of his face. Though not a second after they had formed, their shapes would change and they would move together coalescing into a circular symbol. From the sigil a dense fog would forcefully spray out into the hall sparkling from the presence of many small iridescent ice crystals inside it. The fog fill the hall quite well as it was propelled forward towards the guards. Hopefully the cold icy nature of the cloud would freeze the guards at least somewhat. If not the pieces of ice in the cloud could cut at the guards for exposed areas which lacked the protection of armor.

A smirk would find its way onto Salmar's face as he watched his spell at work. It wasn't necessarily that he enjoyed the situation at hand, but admittedly it was the most action he'd had in a while. Besides if there was still a chance he might end up in a cell again, Salmar figured he should make the most of his time out. Though only time could tell if the two could successfully escape, or even so much as deal with the guard in front of them.

 

[Maja]

The fog rolled forward, replacing the dust that had hung in the air just a moment before and cascading over the guardsmen like a rush of water.

One of them seemed to try to press through it, charging the two mages in an attempt to end this before their enemy could. Yet as he rushed into the Lithomancer's spell ice began to form upon his arm, small splotches of skin showing between black plates suddenly turning blue, and his form freezing in place.

Another of the guards let out a curse, half turning away before the fog touched him too and entrapped him in the same icy tomb.

The third man stumbled back, his hands gripping his spear as his mouth parted. Jumbled words passed through his lips, and yet a spell formed. Maja's eyes opened wide, and quickly she rushed forward passed the two frozen men and towards the third.

Her hand shot out, grasping the front of his armor and pulling him forward.

The creature mounted upon her back extended two of it's legs, and suddenly like the arms of a mantis they shot down and impaled the soldier through his mail.

Maja looked back, then motioned towards the Lithomancer. "This way, towards the cliffs."

They would not escape through the front door, that was something she knew.

Without waiting for a response the Dreadlord rushed off, now a little more confident in her new companion.

 

[Salmar Adric]

Maja

Salmar watched, impressed, as his companion bravely rushed forward to deal with the last of the men. Unlike his unfortunate companions, he had managed to avoid being frozen alive. Though worse than this the man seemed to know magic and had been about to cast a spell. Thankfully the other prisoner's quick actions managed to quite efficiently dispose of him before he could do anything. Watching her and her monstrous friend work together amazed Salmar. It seemed as though the woman had complete control over the beast and could issue commands with just a thought.

As the woman took off down the hall Salmar would quickly move to follow. He was quite glad that she had so naturally taken the role of leading the pair. Naturally, his pseudo-inability to speak made it hard for him to effectively lead others. Though more than this it seemed that she had quite a bit more knowledge of the prison than he did. Even knowing so much as to have knowledge of there being cliffs outside the prison. This made him wonder as to the identity of his current leader. With no knowledge that she was a former dreadlord, Salmar could only wonder what her path in life had been. Especially what she had done to be imprisoned and how long she had been there. He figured though that it didn't matter much in their current situation. However, he still thought that maybe once they escaped, if they did, he might be able to ask her and find out.

 

[Maja]

Salmar Adric

Maja moved quickly, moving down the winding and shifting corridors with quick steps.

Left, right, left, left.

From her memory she pulled the layout of the block. They had kept her here for twenty years, and in that time she had only been taken out of her cell half a dozen times. She remembered each and every one of them well, having counted the steps, turns, and whatever else she could to mark her way when she would finally escape.

As they moved the sounds of fists banging on cell doors could be heard. The excited screams of men and women desperate to escape. She could hear them the echoing cries, and as they came through another hall of doors Maja came to a stop.

Slowly she looked at her companion. "We should free them."

Some of the people in this place were murderers, killers, monsters. The sort of people that put even her crimes to shame. Yet their escape would cause chaos, would give them more cover.

Maja stepped forward, the creature on her back extending it's razor sharp leg over it's shoulder as she moved to cut through one of the nearby doors.

Unless her new companion stopped her.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

Ferelith was not a happy camper, and getting locked up here had been far from her plan. She had been going to head for the spine.

Why? She didn’t know.

Maybe it was because it was home. Maybe it was because it was off the grid. Or maybe it was the demon in her head literally dragging her there by every means but total force. You know..

Could be any reason...

“So..” Ferelith sighed. She never got used to that voice in her head. She had only been here for 6 months but it already felt like a life time. She had been locked in a cell by herself. Given her teeth the warden had chucked her into her own cell with out a second thought.

She hadn’t yet responded to it, but after all this time with no one to talk to it was getting tempting even if the voice was..

Spooky to say the least..

“Its been long enough. You can start talking to me again you know. It’s as lonely for me as it is for you you know. I thought I would already be out of you by now. Not stuck in your tiny meat sack...” Ferelith remained silent. Folding her arms across her chest. Her mouth a grim line. “Fine. Have it your way then I suppose..”

The voice pouted. Ferelith nodded and began to settle in for another day of nothing. Climbing out of her bunk she stripped off her shirt leaving her various bandit gang tattoos on display as she began her daily exercise.

As she finished her final push up she stood with a deep breath and walked to the door. Her breakfast would slide under the door like clockwork.

She waited...It didn’t come. A few minutes passed... Then a few more.. Suddenly shouting began to reach her ears.

Every prisoner in the block must be on their feet shouting.

“Somethings happening...This could be our chance..” The demon piped up. Ferelith ignored her still but knew she was right. Wether it was a riot or maybe an attack..Either way it might be her chance out of this hole.

A shadow appeared at the front of the door. Someone was in front of it. Ferelith readied herself for it to be friend or foe.

Her single yellow eye glowing in the darkness.

IF the door was to open she would remove whatever weakened bits were left out of the way in an explosive kick leaving her to land in the middle of the hallway carried by her own momentum.

Taking in the two in front of her and the slowly growing chaos in their wake.

“We leaving then or what?” She asked them both. Cracking her neck and knuckles.

Extremely intimidating. If she wasn’t so short and cute looking. Her mismatched eyes looked into the woman’s.

A fear began to grip her spine at the gaze of the woman and her confidence slowly deflated.

“I mean..That’s um..What the point of all this isn’t it?” She said rubbing her shoulder.
“She’s scary..” The demon said in a hushed tone in her mind.

“Your a demon. How can someone scare you?” Ferelith thought the question.


The demon remained silent.

 

[Salmar Adric]

Maja
Ferelith Scathach

Salmar followed close behind as the woman lead him down multiple halls. He was intrigued by the confidence with which she made every turn. There seemed to be no hesitation in her mind as if she knew exactly where she was going. It seemed that Salmar might've gotten extremely lucky to have been placed in a cell next to her. Not only had he been close to someone else planning to escape, but he was close to someone who seemed to have the means to actually do it.

Suddenly his companion would come to a stop in one of the halls. Salmar quickly glanced down both ends of the hall curious if she had noticed something troubling. To his surprise, he was met with nothing that seemed worthy of stopping for. Though the other mage quickly revealed her reason for stopping. She believed that the two of them should release the other prisoners. Frankly, he didn't disagree with her in the slightest. Salmar had never really been one to tread the moral highroad. After all in his line of work, he'd killed many people few of which could be justified legally. While he was sure some of the people in the prison were monsters, he also knew releasing them would be useful.

He'd nod back in response to her and watch as she began to go to work on one of the doors. Not wasting any time he'd do the same. Taking a step towards one of the doors on the other side of the hall, he'd raise one of his hands in front of his face. "Dagger." He'd say out loud initiating a spell with a focused impulse. Just as before the words would come from his mouth to form a sigil, but this time instead of fog a blade appeared. Out from the sigil, a dagger made of the same red energy as his words appeared and he grabbed it from the air quickly.

Turning his attention to the door in front of him he'd look it up and down to see how to crack it open. Luckily the task would be easier to do now that he was in the hall and not the cell. From this side, he could see where things sat on the door and what areas he would need to cut to forcefully unlock it. The lithomancer got to work quickly, focusing his energy on the blade so it could cut into and break the locking mechanism. It wouldn't take long before he'd slide the blade back out and prepare to open the door. Though with no way to verbally announce his intention Salmar worried the prisoner might attack him.

Standing to the side of the door he'd grab the handle and throw it open quickly. He was immediately thankful for doing so as the prisoner inside seemed to come out with a kick. Salmar quickly put himself into a stance to fight the woman. It wouldn't take him long to relax when he realized the girl meant no harm to them.

"Escape is the plan." Salmar would trace out to the woman, the words lingering a bit before disappearing. "She might know a way out. It'd be best for you to stick with us." He would write shortly after the other words had dissipated. The lithomancer figured it'd be best not to clue in most of the prisoners they released to his companion's knowledge. After all, if the prisoners were more spread out the guards would be too, and if all the prisoners followed the pair they'd all be easier to catch. However, he also thought it likely that the two of them could use at least one more person helping them escape. This newly introduced prisoner seemed ready to put up a bit of a fight to escape. So hopefully Salmar made the right decision extending the invitation to her.

 

[Maja]

Maja did not speak or greet the girl freed herself from the cell.

In her mind she had made an agreement with the Lithomancer, and that was the only one she needed. Everyone else was simply a means to an end, a tool to be used for her escape. That was what she'd been taught, what they had always told her to do.

Put yourself first.

Maja had been taught that lesson a thousand times, and she held it to heart. As soon as the woman stepped free the Dreadlord moved away, shifting to the opposite side of the hall to allow the creatures great scythe like arms to cut through more of the locks. Within a matter of minutes between herself and the Lithomancer a dozen prisoners stepped free.

They slowly moved, head turning back and forth, some human, some not. At least one resembled a massive lizard standing on two legs, his mouth opening to release a low clicking growl. Maja looked at them for a moment, moving to open her mouth and speak when suddenly a call went out.

"STOP! RETURN TO YOUR CELLS OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!"

Maja turned her head, looking through the throng of prisoners to spot a dozen guard approaching, all of them headed by a man in black plate armor with flowing robes. An odd aura surrounded him, an edge of magic that made Maja step back.

The Dreadlord glanced towards the Lithomancer, then Jerked her head and mouthed. "Other way."

Slowly she stepped back as the other prisoners they had freed moved forward towards the Guard Captain and his men.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

She nodded as the man explained they were indeed escaping. Writing in the air. The words gave her pause, but her brain decided that lingering on how the man literally wrote words in the air was not the most important thing right now.

The cold woman barely acknowledged her existence.

Ferelith understood.

It was the unspoken stance most took in this place.

The tried and true “Stay out of my way and I maybe won’t kill you.” Approach. This was only driven home harder as the blonde mercenary had to duck out of the way as the creature with the woman began slicing through locks and almost cut her down in the process forcing her to duck and roll.

“Hey watch it!” She snapped at the woman who simply ignored her. Coming up next to the other mage. “Not really a talker huh..” She said to him with a rye grin.

The mages seemed to be in league with each other at this point, so Ferelith decided to stay with the man that had both freed and spoken to her...Well written at any rate.

Soon a rabble was formed of freed prisoners. That was when more guards showed up. The lizard man passed her staring them down.

“Oh hey Tobias..” She said with a quick upward tilt of her chin as he reciprocated the gesture and bumped her fist as he passed.

“Nice guy..” She said with a smirk. The prisoners began to rush the guard when she looked in time to catch the female mage mouth.

“Other way.” And she grabbed the left hand of the male mage as he began to follow so as not to get left behind. Her stature and general appearance left it looking all the world like a little sister being led by her older brother. Releasing it once they were passed the bustle of the rabble of he hadn’t objected or shaken her of.

Her yellow vampiric eye taking in the details in the darkness like it was day. Her other blue seeing normally as she followed quickly.

“So I get the plans to escape, but I didn’t see a way out besides right through the front gate and I’m almost positive we don’t have the man power for that..”

She said to the man after a thankful nod for him not immediately abandoning her. She kept her voice low having little doubt the woman they were following wouldn’t just simply turn around and wordlessly cut her down, before simply continuing like she had simply squashed a bug. Ferelith felt it would be smart if she did not call too much attention to herself.

 

[Salmar Adric]

"I suppose not, but she is powerful." Salmar would respond to the mercenary girl as he continued on cutting into another door. This time his words would trace in the air to the side of his head, facing towards the girl even as he remained facing the door. The lithomancer had never considered his companion to have necessarily been cold or not one for talking. Though he supposed looking back on their short time together, everything she had said to him was rather short and to the point. In any case, he wasn't much of a talker either so it didn't bother him. Besides, their current situation certainly wasn't the best one to be having casual conversations in.

Looking around Salmar realized that the two of them had managed to free a decent number of prisoners. Certainly not enough to just parade through the prison as they wished, but that was never the goal. Of course, the mage didn't really know for sure what the goal was. His leading companion had mentioned they were headed for cliffs, but that was about all he knew. Perhaps she knew of an exit there or simply thought they could blast a hole in one of the walls. Though he perhaps didn't have much reason to, Salmar decided to trust that the woman knew what she was doing.

Noticing the approach of a force of guards from down one end of the hall, Salmar looked to the other mage to see what she'd do. In doing so he met her gaze and saw her mouth out directions. He'd wait for her to catch up to his position as she came back down the hall. Once she did he would allow her to continue moving forward to take the lead again. "Follow." He'd trace out to the younger girl, tapping her shoulder to make sure she noticed.

Beginning to follow the ex-dreadlord once again, Salmar would look back over his shoulder to make sure the third member of the group was coming. Much to his surprise, right as he did so the girl grabbed his left hand with what struck him as quite a strong grip. He wondered why she chose to grab the hand of someone she had just barely met and didn't even know. Though he figured she might have just been signaling to him that she was coming, or was perhaps even a bit worried about the situation. The former seemed to be the much more likely of the two considering what he'd seen of the girl's attitude so far.

"I believe she knows of somewhere we can escape." Salmar would respond to the girl as they ran, his letters tracing just a couple of feet in front of her. As the group moved down the hall so too would his words ensuring she could read them without stopping. After enough time had passed for the girl to read them they would disappear and more would start to form. "I trust that she has a plan to get us out of here and I'm sure she's our best shot. After all, we have her to thank for getting this far." He would write to her hopefully alleviating any doubts she had about the woman. Surely in whatever events were to come next, they would need to work together, and Salmar wanted to make sure that would happen.

 

[Maja]

Maja did not outright ignore the other two, but she did move like they were not there at all.

Every now and again she would cast a glance over her shoulder, checking to see if the lithomancer was still there. She did not care much about the other one, but he...he was important. She did not have the capability break free herself.

Not now, not with how few souls she had left to her.

As they rushed through the halls the beast upon Maja's back extended it's claws. The blades swiped through cell doors, cutting metal and slicing rock as the Former Dreadlord sought to create more and more chaos. She did not care who she released, just that the Guards focused upon them and not her.

Three more twists and turns. Three more quick shifting steps, and then suddenly Maja stopped herself in front of what appeared to be a dead end. There was a hall that lead to the left, but she did not move to turn down it. Instead she half turned, waiting as her companions caught up.

"Your magic." She asked the Lithomancer. "Can you blast through this wall?"

Maja had seen what he had done with the door of his cell.

Could he do the same here?

Distant screaming echoed through the halls as she waited for an answer, some of terror, and some of warriors clashing.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Oh I uh..I see..” Ferelith nodded to his response as his words continued to appear in front of her facing her even when he wasn’t. He was in front of another door and coaxed the lock open. His colleague seemed far less concerned with this method and had opted to simply cut through the door like a hot bladed knife through...

Something soft?

Butter?

“You used to be funnier.” The demon piped up.

“You used to be an all powerful omnipresent being of misery. Now your stuck in me because mages made you their-.”
“Ok..Ok..Point taken..Touchy..”


Ferelith ignored her like she ignored how the man was speaking to her.
Not important at the moment.

He didn’t object her taking his hand which she felt a small amount of comfort in. His assurance as they ran made her feel a bit better as well even if trying to read and run for her life was a problem she had yet to have experienced until this moment.

“Ok... a plan...good..” Ferelith said between breaths as they came to a dead end. The hallway led to the left but the woman wasn’t turning. “Oh great plan. Really fantastic!” Ferelith said with a sigh as the sounds of fighting grew ever closer. “Maybe if I go to get back in my cell..” She said beginning to turn around as a prisoner was thrown down the hallway they had just come down. His body slid to a stop with a sloppy splat. While his head rolled to her feet where she was standing less than a yard away.

“Ohh...Fourtunas saggy cankles we’re screwed arent we? She’s just some spooky monster lady that lost her head and killed her family off or something isn’t she..” Ferelith would moan. If the woman responded aggressively (If at all.) Ferelith would chuckle nervously and raise up her hands placatingly. “...Iiiissss what I would say if I wanted to get cut down where I stood...” She would back up slowly and turn to see guards already pushing the tide of prisoners back. A couple of guards broke through the line and more would follow. “What I meant to say..Was..I’ll cover us..You...”

If no response was given she would simply shrug with a gesture to the lithomancer as if to say. “See!?” Before turning all the same and seeing some guards begin to rush them.

She would slip into a ready stance as they approached. Ducking the first sword swing she swept the first guards feet with enough force to snap off his left leg and send him spinning with a scream into the right side wall of the hallway.

Picking up the dead mans sword she blocked and parried the slash and stab from the other two.

Taking an opening her small stature granted she rolled between the second mans wide stance bringing the sword along with her and used the momentum of the roll to nearly cleave the man in two. In the process however she lost her sword as it was stuck in the bottom half of the second guard as he slumped to the ground with a soul sickening gurgle. She turned just in time to get ran through by the third guard.

She gasped as the breath was driven out of her. The hilt slamming into her stomach as the blade pushed out of her back. The guard paused a moment before moving to pull the blade free. Only to have a hand seize his wrist. Keeping him where he stood. The grip fractured his wrist.
Crushing his bones like a glass bottle in a cloth sack. Pieces of fractured bone spearing the hand that held him.

“That always hurts so much more than I remember and then BAM.. It’s.. Its just the worst..” She said with a smug grin. Blood leaking from the sides of her mouth. She spat a glob of it in the shocked mans face before punching him on the face hard enough to break his neck.. Another gurgle. Another slump..

“Ok..Ok..” She would say pulling the sword out for a moment before screaming in pain and stopping. “I can’t..” She whimpered to her self. Out loud. She doubted anyone was listening.

“Then let me.” The demon spoke as her eyes clouded over with a deep darkness. Her hand moving and pulling the blade free.

She then moved like someone completely different.
Someone confident and poised. Intelligent and dangerous.. She snapped her fingers and the guard she spat in the face of rose. The splatter of spit on his face writhing as it grew and branched out covering most of his face a neck. His neck remaining in its awkward jagged position that left his head bobbing.

“It’s like eating a rat..” She complained in a voice that was not the one of a few moments ago. It was far more sinister. It spoke with no true emotion.

Like it was playing a part..acting. She pulled the man close and sank her teeth into his neck. The man simply shriveled to a husk. Dropping him like the garbage he was she would then stop for a moment. Her tattoo began to glow a deep black as her wounds healed.

The tattoo fading from a glowing black to a glowing bright blue as the darkness faded from Ferelith’s eyes. It all took place in the span of a few moments. More guards were beginning to finally break through the chaos. She blinked..Another black out..

What had she missed..



More were coming.

“Your welcome.” The demon snarked in her head. “F$&@ off.” She spat back mentally.
Turning back to her fellow escapees.

 

[Salmar Adric]

"Possibly, but it will take time and a lot of energy." Salmar would write in response as he came to a stop in front of the wall in question. He'd raise his blade above his head and hit the wall with it as hard as he could. Wanting to see how sturdy the wall was, there was no surprise when his dagger barely scratched the surface. There was a chance he could break it, but as he told his companion it would take a lot of time and energy. For instance, it had taken him a very long time to make a phrase long enough to bust his door down. Not only was the wall sturdier than his door, but he had less time to work. However, if he approached the problem from the right angle he just might be able to solve it. Suddenly with a quick thought, he had an idea. The trick to their escape wouldn't be one long and powerful spell, but a number of shorter but weaker spells. Spells he could create and cast quicker but would have a combined effect to hopefully destroy the wall.

Wasting no time, Salmar got to work formulating what would be the first of many spells. He'd focus intensely and after a few seconds of pulling glyphs into a phrase, he'd speak. "Inspect." He'd say aloud, taking a step back. The words would form a sigil which would move to float in front of his eye. With a focus impulse, the spell would augment his vision to see into the wall. From the spell, he could see the wall's structure and all its imperfections. The walls were quite sturdy indeed, but also quite old. All the strength in the world couldn't protect the wall from time. There were cracks here and there and one particular spot just a bit to the left of the middle seemed the weakest. With his blade, he'd do his best to carve an X into the wall as close to that area as possible.

Quickly moving onto the next spell the lithomancer would once again pull glyphs from the world around him. "Pick." He'd say and the process would begin again. This time when the sigil formed his dagger would change shape into a handheld pick designed to penetrate rock. With all his strength he'd force it onto the spotted marked X. It would penetrate into the stone, but only a quarter of the way. In order for his plan to work it needed to be all the way inside the stone. "Pierce!" He'd shout forming a quick and very forced spell. With its activation, a thin coat of energy would cover the pick and make it just sharp enough to slide all the way into the stone wall.

Using his sigil monocle once again he made sure the pick was lined up properly within the wall. It was a little bit off, but truthfully there was nothing he could do. Likely he didn't have the time or energy to attempt to do it over again. "Charge." With his words, another sigil would form. It'd move to the pick and apply itself to the handle where it stuck out from the wall. Once it imprinted itself there a line of red energy, similar to the one Salmar writes with, would emanate from his body. It'd move into the sigil on the pick in a continuous line as it began to charge the tool with energy. It was a dangerous process and one that could kill him if not stopped at the right time. As the pick charged it began to glow red and vibrate with a low hum.

After a few seconds Salmar would use his hand to break the sigil and stop the process. Now there was only one thing left for him to do. Stepping away from the wall a bit but keeping his focus on the pick he'd speak again. "Release Shockwave." He'd speak imbuing the spell with as forceful of an impulse as he could. Just like the one before it, the formed sigil would attach itself to the pick. When it did so the tool would begin vibrating again this time much more intensely. As it did so the red energy would begin to emanate from it. At first, it slowly drifted off then within seconds a screech would tear through the air as all the charged energy in the pick was released as a shockwave. Some of this energy would emanate from the handle sending a weak blast out, but the rest would be released directly into the stone wall. If Salmar's idea worked the energy would emanate into the internal cracks in the wall, both new and old, causing them to expand with force. The resulting changes in the wall's structure combined with the magical blast inside it would hopefully blast a hole in the wall centered on the pick.

Of course, all of this could only happen if Salmar's companions could keep him from being interrupted from the time he started to when he finished. The entire process as a whole required immense concentration and being stopped once could throw the whole thing off. With all of his focus on his magic and the wall, Salmar would also be completely vulnerable. Likely he wouldn't even notice if someone were to aim an attack in his direction. If that were to happen the consequences could very well be fatal for him.

 

[Maja]

There was a quiet thud and metallic clang as one of the guards hit the floor.

A blue wisp rushed over Maja's flesh, crawling beneath her skin and lighting her eyes for just a brief second before a shiver ran through her body. There was a lull as her female companion ended the life of another guard, the former Dreadlord looking over to the girl with a dispassionate gaze.

After a moment more her eyes turned away and back towards the wall.

She could hear the shifting stone, the press of marble blocks as they were forced away. A breath filled her lungs, and then she gazed back down the hallway where more Guards were to come. More undoubtedly had their hands full with the prisoners they released, but the Black Keep held an army. Fingers tightened, and then her palm slowly folded open. A breath passed over her hand, a wisp of blue running and cascading over it.

The mist rolled from between her fingers, dripping down onto the corpses that lay before her.

For a second nothing happened.

Then the loud crunch of bone and ripping flesh echoed through the room. The corpses in front of her twisted and ripped, pulling and knitting together in a horrific display of magic. From the bodies was born a golem of flesh, pulled into itself through her will. It drew itself upward, standing at near twice Maja's height and turning with a thunderous step just as the wall behind her came crashing down.

Blocks fell away from where Salmar's spell had struck, and beyond one could see a wide tunnel that seemed to open up into the cliffs of the Black Keep. Wind rushed through its expanse, the first breath of fresh air they had tasted in months, some for years.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

She felt a chill run up her spine under the gaze of the female mage.

Her male friend on the other hand had started working immediately.

Crouching to look at the problem before things began to happen.

She turned to see three more guards break through. Behind her there was more commotion with the crunching of flesh and grinding of meat and bone behind her followed by a blast as a hole was blown into the wall previously blocking their path. Ferelith paid no heed to either keeping her focus on the guards.

“Well? Come on then you stupid cu...” Her threat was cut short as they dropped their weapons. Their faces turning pale as they bolted back to the fray not far away.

“Better run..” She spat before turning and seeing the golem. Going as pale as the guards before her she almost ran herself before her eyes found the lithomancer.

Swallowing her fear she would move past the golem and hopefully be able to take the lithomancers hand once more. If of course he had waited and not rejected it. He hadn’t previously and considering they were still together the tactic warranted repeat action.

“Please..Don’t leave me..” She said slightly breathless as her lungs drew in that sweet fresh air the hole offered them. She cast another fearful glance at the golem. “And if she makes me one of those things if I die... kill me..” She added. A look of real fear gripping her spine once more.

Was freedom even worth getting near a woman like this?
After watching her magics effects it left a pit in the bandits stomach that told her it was best not to ponder a question like that at the moment.

Besides..

She already knew the answer.

 

[Salmar Adric]

As the wall came crashing down in front of him, Salmar would take a quick step back to avoid any stones falling on his feet. Looking up and into what had revealed itself he'd take a deep breath. It appeared there was a tunnel of sorts but the air coming through it was fresh. It filled his lungs and invigorated them. Though more importantly the fresh air meant there was an exit. They were so close to an exit that they could literally smell freedom. If of course one could equate the smell of fresh air with that of freedom. To the lithomancer it certainly seemed like the only thing that freedom could smell like.

Turning around to see what the situation was in the hall, a chill would run down his spine as he caught sight of the flesh golem. Though unlike his younger companion his reaction was not one of fear, but of awe for the power of the other mage. He hadn't seen the golem form but new for sure it was the work of the former dreadlord. Salmar had already thought her to be quite powerful from what he'd previously seen of her powers. Seeing the monstrosity she had just created only reinforced this thought. It made him wonder if she could have just destroyed the wall with one of her creatures. Though Salmar was no fool and knew well that all magics, even the strongest of them, have some sort of catch.

In any event, who destroyed the wall was of little importance. What actually mattered was the fact that the wall was now gone and their path was now seemingly open. As the lithomancer silently reveled in his feat, the younger girl approached him again. Once again she would take his hand and he would allow her to do so. This time it seemed quite obvious that she did so out of fear. Apparently she was quite spooked by the sudden appearance of a bulky flesh monster suddenly appearing behind her. Which, Salmar supposed, was a fair reaction given the girl seemed a bit distrustful of the older woman.

Listening to the girl speak he would give her hand a squeeze as to say he wouldn't leave her behind. Having expended a large amount of energy to destroy the wall, he had to limit his written communication. Even such a low energy action as air writing could take its toll on him, and he needed to conserve as much energy as possible for whatever came next. Though after the girl finished talking and expressed her wishes he would write to her. "I won't let you die." He'd write to her in response. It took a bit of energy to do so, but he felt what she said required more of a response than silence. After doing so he'd reach forward to tap the other mage on her shoulder. If she'd look back at him he'd motion for her to come on. He didn't intend to leave without her either and figured there was a chance she might know how to navigate them fully out of the prison.

 

[Maja]

Maja did not watch the display of affection, though she was aware of it.

For her, such a thing was utterly foreign, alien almost. The Dreadlords were not taught about such things, and any form of affection was so strange to her that she could hardly comprehend it. She had been taken by the Proctors before she had even formed memories.

The idea of anyone loving her...simply did not exist.

"Kill." The word was said just as the lithomancer touched her shoulder, though the command was not meant for him.

The creature she had summoned seemed to stand still for a second, then like the hulking golem it was it slowly began to shamble forward. Maja watched it for a brief few seconds, and then slowly turned towards the other two.

No words were said, but she quickly stepped towards them and motioned towards the entrance of the cave. The Fresh air lifted her soul, calling to her, and quickly she made her way into the tunnels.

The journey did not take long, though the sounds of chaos urged them forward than any normal pace would have seen. It was not long before they came to the tunnel entrance, though what they found was almost as terrifying as the golem of flesh.

A sheer cliff lay before them, the drop several hundred meters, and below an ocean that seemed to stretch for miles. "We need to climb down!"

Maya called over the winds to her companions.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Ok..ok..” Ferelith said with a nod.

“You ok?” She questioned..
Noting the tired expression and generally weakened state of the man.

All magic had a price.

She was pulled along as he moved forward. “Hey I would-..” she began as he reached out and touched her shoulder.

She tended.

Her grip tightened slightly as the female mage spoke seemjngly in response to the man’s touch.
A simple phrase that confirmed her most current fear.

“Kill.”

Maybe she had decided it was time to part ways.

Taking care of tools no longer needed.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she simply left her movement up to the male mage as the sound of the golem moving reached her ears.

He was pulling her forward and the sickening sound golem was growing distant, not closer.

Her eyes opened as she saw they were moving down the tunnel. Apparently she had been wrongfully fearful..To an extent.. Sje still feared that time would come. She had just been wrong it was This time.

The smell of fresh air and freedom giving them all a quickened pace only people that had been deprived freedom could achieve. Then the cliff. She came to a halt almost falling off releasing the male mage in case she did fall and using her arms to balance.

If the female mage was close enough to her she would almost reach out to her before seeming to realize what she was doing and simply struggled for a moment before being able to fall backward with a slight squeak as air was slightly driven from her lungs. She would spring up. Seizing the male mage by the collar her eyes would darken. Until they were a simple black.

“You lied to us. We are so dead! You promised!” She growled in the same instant her vision cleared and she released him. “Ah..Sorry. She’s cringily over dramatic..but it helps spice up my plot..I guess..In a way..” She said with a nervous chuckle.

Trying to forget what she had already heard the female mage say where she had laid on the ground.

This of course all hinges on the lithomancer allowing her to do so and letting the situation resolve itself rather than one of them blasting her or shoving her off the cliff after her outburst. But it could easily happen

Heights and flesh monsters. Why couldn’t it have been a nice head on brawl. That was what she was good at.