Fate - First Reply Shackled Together

[Tabitha Marshall]

Tabitha slowly sat up and blinked away the fogginess in her vision. The last thing she remembered was following some poor man who asked her to step into an alleyway to help his ailing child. Next thing she knew someone put a cloth around her face and she went lightheaded. She fell asleep right there and then. She hoped the poor man and his child were okay at least.

She reached up to rub her forehead but felt it was caught on something, something that kept her from moving properly. She pursed her lips and gazed down at her arm, eyes widening when she saw a shackle locked around her wrist. Not an ordinary one either, one covered in runes that would likely thwart any effort of magically breaking them. She was stuck, but to what?

Her gaze trailed up the chain until they stopped on somebody else, who was now stuck shackled to her for the foreseeable future. They'd have to escape whatever was happening together, somehow.

Spoiler: Information

Basically your character was captured by slavers and is now shackled to Tabitha here, it's like having a slightly dim angel on your shoulder. The chains can't be easily broken by conventional means. So, the options are either to escape and have them removed later or to steal the key. The basic location is Zakron (inside or in the caves outside of it, depending on your preference) and they can try to escape in whatever way you prefer.

 

[Arnor Skuldsson]

No, this was not going according to plan.

No, this was not how he wanted his night to end up.

Chained to an... angel.

"Oh look, you're finally awake."

The Nordenfiir flexed his hands, turning his head around the room. Tried to go... bear. Didn't work. He grimaced, shuffling against the woman.

"First time being chained up?"

Tabitha Marshall

 

[Tabitha Marshall]

"Oh look, you're finally awake."

All drowsiness immediately departed from Tabitha. Another captive? Foul villains! She would rescue this unfortunate soul from, wherever it is they've been taken. She turned his way and smiled. Despite the circumstance. "Were you kidnapped too? I'm sorry."

He looked like a human at first glance, somewhere in his thirties. Though it was hard to see in such dim lighting. She pursed her lips and focused, a few sparks of light manifested above her head. That was all she could seemingly muster of her halo with that shackle locked around her.

It did manage to illuminate the dim chamber, at least a little. They were in a cell of some kind, a barred door blocking their way out. She could hear others nearby (captors or fellow prisons she knew not) but couldn't make out what they were saying.

Her current brother-in-chains flexed his hand and shuffled. Was he uncomfortable? Understandable given the circumstances. "First time being chained up?" he asked.

Tabitha glanced at the chain locked around her wrist. "It is, how did you know? My names Tabitha and I'm a Knight of Anathaeum! Could you tell me your name?"

Arnor Skuldsson

 

[Arnor Skuldsson]

Oh great.

A Knight. He was not only captured, but also had to contend with a literally holier-than-thou honest to goodness Knight.

Curse his luck.

The Anathaeum? Sounded exhausting. "I am Arnor, son of Skuld." He blinked, looking around. He had a trick up his sleeve, but he didn't want to waste that favor.... yet.

Yet.

"I think I might be able to get us out of here, provided of course, we can get these binds off."

He smiled at the thought of his bear-ly formed escape plan.

Pun intended.

Tabitha Marshall

 

[Tabitha Marshall]

"I am Arnor, son of Skuld."

How sweet, he was thinking of his father in this troubling hour. This man must be a truly noble soul. Tabitha held her wrist up as far as she could to get a better look at the runes. She didn't know much about them but they must've been dulling her magic. And maybe that of her new friend too.

As for getting them out of the chains. Her expression turned a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I'm not sure where the key would be. Maybe one of our captors will have it?" Speaking of, the voices from earlier were getting closer now. She wondered who they were.

"Ahem. Yes, as promised we've captured the angel you requested." She recognized that voice. She'd heard him as she fell into unconsciousness. "She is currently chained to the second-"

"Second?" another man spoke. His voice was deeper and icy in tone. Tabitha felt a shiver run up her spine as soon as she heard it.

"Y-yes the second. People call him the Axe of Knottington. We thought he would suit your tastes my lord."

"And you put them both in one pair of shackles?"

"We only brought one pair for the angel..."

Tabitha glanced at her companion. Well, that explained why the two of them were locked together. She lowered her tone to a whisper. "Any ideas?" If not they'd have to find their out after meeting their captor.

Arnor Skuldsson

 

[Arnor Skuldsson]

"We could kill them." He said with a shrug, glancing to the voices on the other side of the door. He rattled the chain that bound them. Sure, he wasn't exactly mobile, but he was freer than they would like, should they get within reach of him.

Arnor was a big guy, like most of his people.

His plan really just involved beating to death whoever tried to take him captive.

And then finding out what they did with his gear.

Tabitha Marshall

 

[Tabitha Marshall]

Vanquish the evildoers to free themselves? A straightforward solution! One Tabitha would happily lend her aid too. She tried to hop to her feet but ended up getting thrown back down by the chain. Oh right, she couldn't move as freely as she was used to while shackled to Arnor. "Sorry about that. I guess we'll have to coordinate until we get out of these."

The rattling of the chain caused both voices to pause. "They're awake," the second of the two said. His footsteps grew louder as he approached, finally stepping into view. He was a deathly pale man with long white hair that fell to his chest in length. He stood nearly as tall and strong as Arnor himself.

Tabitha's own attention was soon drawn to his fangs. She bit her lip. "A vampire." That could complicate the direct approach. At least a little. Maybe there was another way to escape? Let's see, what did Syr Dorn say? Something like: if you're captured and you don't think you can escape, kill yourself because corpses can't give away information?

... Maybe Syr Galvanhad's advice work be better.

The vampire took a deep breath. His gaze shifted over to Arnor. "Your blood doesn't smell like that of a human." He stepped closer but lingered just beyond his reach. "What are you? May I ask."

Arnor Skuldsson

 

[Arnor Skuldsson]

A vampire.

A god damn. Vampire.

He was chained to an angel. Kidnapped by a Vampire. And now being questioned by, the same Vampire, the same one that wanted him for whatever nefarious purpose.

"Not from around here."

He said gruffly, responding to the thing's question with a fair bit of hate in his voice. He stared him down, picturing all the ways he could rip him limb from limb in the small room. He debated on swinging the angel at him- but probably couldn't lift her as quickly as he wanted.

"Creature."

He replied, leaning ever so slightly forward to reinforce his point.

Tabitha Marshall

 

[Tabitha Marshall]

Tabitha stood next to Arnor and pointed accusingly at their captor through the cell door. "Though these bars may separate us now, soon you shall be cast into the light of Tancred!" Oh how she longed to call the light of the sun down now. Unfortunately she wasn't nearly so skilled yet.

Another man lurked behind the first. A lesser vampire himself from the looks of it. "Watch your tongues prey! You speak to Count Ivan Gallofray of Zakron."

The pale man, Ivan apparently, chuckled. His gaze remained fixed on Arnor. "A creature am I? And what are you I wonder?" He examined him a few seconds longer. "Hmm, you've piqued my curiosity mortal." He held his hand out to the man behind him, who passed him a key covered in runes similar to the ones on their shackles.

He held the key out for them to see. "I may have fallen into corruption, but I was once a knight. In the interest of fairness I will allow you a chance to free yourself. Either find me in Zakron and claim your freedom. Or flee, attempt to escape the city and find another way. I'll be watching." He slowly turned and walked away.

Tabitha walked as close the bars as she could and hollered after him. "It is you who shall flee before the might of Anathaeum!"

Arnor Skuldsson

 

[Arnor Skuldsson]

Count who?

Arnor just sat there, unable to comprehend the ridiculousness of his situation. A noble knight, Vampires, and a magical bind between them.

Less than ideal way to spend a night.

After they were alone, Arnor spoke after a while.

"Was that your plan?"

Tabitha Marshall