TheIcMan

REVAMPING AGAIN! Hey everyone, I originally planned on redoing everything again (like an idiot), but with the help of some folks on the forums (again), I'm deciding against it. I'll do my best to edit as I go along. Thanks for the support.

Avice woke with a blood-curdling scream.

The smells of smoke and garbage rose to her nose, leading her to retch. She gasped for air, her crusty eyes blinking rapidly. She smacked her lips together, scowling at the fact that everything felt inhumanly dry. 

“B-Boss I’m telling you, it’s not worth it!”

“It’s worth everything,” the grizzly, large man in front of her said. “This'll help us cross the line." He nodded. A disgruntled look appeared on his face. Nodding, he said, "It hasn’t been long enough, keep going.”

“Give up, Luge. He won’t change his mind,” the one to her right said. He shook his head and bounced the iron rod in his hands up and down. "Learn this sooner rather than later."

What’s going on?!

She arched her back as she felt the cold, prickly wall behind her. Slowly leaning backward, she shivered and took as many deep breaths as she could.

Trying to move her body, she looked down. Her wrists strapped together, sitting in front of her stomach, and a single rope tightly wrapped around her legs.

Cold sweat poured down her back. She bit her lip and glanced up, taking in her surroundings.

A lamp hung from the rocky ceiling, lighting the entirety of the stone room. A gut-retching scent invaded her brain, and she groaned. Maps hung on the walls across her, swords, shields, and glass orbs sprawled on the uneven floor. The maps detailed a continent she’d never seen before.

What is this, a cave?

Then, something else caught her attention. An illustration portraying an image of a rose with a dagger as its stem reached from wall to wall. 

The chilling wind blew past her, ruffling her dirty pajamas. Thunder boomed.

She widened her eyes and nearly gasped.

Is this another prank?

She gritted her teeth and scowled at the men in front of her. The man called ‘Boss’ glared at her with cold eyes.

He stood tall and stone-faced, his thick, log-like arms folded across his broad chest. He raised a hand and scratched at his scraggly beard. A scar ran down his cheek. He tapped his fingers against his padded, leather clothes.

“We need to kill her, Boss. We need to.” The shorter man, Luge, quivered in his boots. He fiddled with his disheveled, blonde hair, his fingers trembling. He wore similar clothes to his superior. He hunched over and looked back and forth between his leader and Avice.

Then, the pain kicked in. Her right arm tensed up and she jolted back.

Something scorching-hot pressed onto her skin. It subsided for just a short moment when the searing pain pressed against her once more.

“AAAAGH!” She howled. Her heart pounded in her ears. Sweat dripped down her cheeks, her teeth grinding against each other. She forced herself to stay awake, fighting against her instincts to blackout.

The heat disappeared, and she hung her head. 

She coughed violently from the smoke entering her lungs. It felt like her entire arm froze. The numbness ran down to her fingers. She panted and cocked her head up.

This… this isn’t a joke, she thought. Where the hell am I?

“How’s it look, Owen?” Boss asked. “Good enough for the Auction House?”

Owen twirled the long, metal rod with a pensive look. A flat pattern decorated its steaming white tip. After staring at her arm for a few moments, he nodded and said, “It should be.”

“Boss, I’m serious. If she gets sold to someone outside our territory, we’re done for,” Luge said. “And what if she has some people looking for her? What if they get to our hideout? They’ll kill us if we get exposed.”

“Hrmm.” He scratched his beard. He turned and said, “Owen, check the Prox Orb.”

Owen nodded and moved to the other side of the room. He fumbled with a dimmed out glass sphere and tapped the top of it three times. A low hum echoed in the cave, and after a few pulses, it stopped. “Nothing sir,” he said. “But the Spirits could be messing around considering the storm.”

“Then contact a nearby Camp,” Boss ordered. “Ask them to double-check. They’re better equipped, so they should be able to confirm. Let’s not take any chances.”

Luge sighed. With a tired shrug, the disillusioned man bent down and picked up some of the scattered weapons on the ground.

Avice turned her gaze to the bear of a man in front of her. She narrowed her eyes as she studied the Boss. The way he looked at her chilled her soul. He didn't have the eyes of someone hostile to her. He stared at her disinterested - as if she weren't even human. Pushing those negative thoughts aside, she scanned his body, searching for anything she needed to keep a note of. The blade sitting at his side caught her attention. Her instincts warned her that if she tried anything funny, he'd use that to end her life in an instant.

I have to play along, or I die, she thought. But can I escape safely?

She flexed her muscles and tried forcing her legs apart. The tight ropes cut at her skin, but she managed to loosen them. With wide eyes, she swiftly closed them back up.

I can use that. 

A plan slowly built in her head. The first couple of steps have been completed already. All she needed to do now was finish the plan and get the hell out of this dreaded place.

“The other Camps aren't detecting anyone, either, Sir,” Owen said. 

The Boss narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Strange," he muttered. After scratching his beard, he shook his head. "Shouldn't think about it too hard. Okay, then. Let’s lock her up and get ready to sell her off in Natale.”

Accompanied  by the clattering of metal, Luge threw his hands up and said, “W-Wait sir!”

“We haven’t done anything noteworthy for the Eldreds since we’ve been posted.” Boss lowered his voice. “I'm tired of sitting in this dump of a cave, Luge. I'd rather be awake and prepared to go when we enact the plan. And knowing who else is on our side, we won't acquire any points.”

“But selling off a slave won’t-”

“Selling off a slave will give us that opportunity,” he said. His eye clouded. “They would appreciate the offer.”

“A slave…?” Avice murmured.

Despite the fear swelling in her heart, she forced herself to speak up.

“What do you want from me?” Avice asked, her voice shaking. “I haven’t done anything to you.”

Boss’s eyebrows rose, then nodded. “I'm sure you haven't, girl. But I can return the question to you. What did you want with us?” He reached behind him and unsheathed a shimmering short sword. "I expect some proper answers," he said.

She eyed the dagger warily. With her body tied down and strangers surrounding her, ready to kill her, she knew she had to do something. An idea popped in her mind.

I have to try it, she thought. Then she shook her head. No, no, I can't. That's breaking my promise. She glanced up and stared into Boss's unwavering gaze. She nearly pissed herself. This is a loophole, Avice, she thought. This is life or death. It doesn't matter. 

She steeled herself and bowed her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice quivering. “I didn’t mean to.” The Boss kept his dagger still. Luge and Owen kept their eyes on her reaching for their weapons. “Listen, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I won’t say anything,” she said. “Just let me go.”

He raised his blade and pressed it softly against her throat. A small cut opened and blood dripped down her neck. “Who brought you here? What do you want?”

She bit her lip. ‘Treat your captors kindly and keep them talking’, a man's voice echoed in her head. She glanced at the weapons everywhere. Small fires flickered inside the lamps all around the cave. The maps seemed to be battle plans. The men wore leather cuirasses and pads.

“I wanted to join the army,” she said with a furious nod.

Boss lightened the blade. “Excuse me?”

“I lost my supplies and collapsed from hunger,” she said. She recalled the names she had heard and risked using them. “I was going to Natale to join the Eldred Army.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What would a woman like you want to do with the Eldreds?”

Her heart jumped. “Maybe she’s talking about the Monster Corps?” Owen mentioned. Boss looked back, keeping his blade against her. She took the opportunity and further loosened the ropes around her legs. 

“That doesn't matter,” Boss muttered. "Should she truly be ignorant, it's better to send her off as a slave," he said.

Crack.

Avice's heart nearly jumped out of her heart. Sweat dripped down her cheeks as she worriedly looked at the three men. To her joy, however, none of them seemed to have noticed the noise. She lightly moved her legs and stifled a smile.

She knew now that she could break free at any moment.

The wind from earlier told her that the opening of the cave was somewhere to her left. Judging by how messy the place was, she inferred that the distance from here to the exit wasn't that long.

So as soon as she breaks the restraints, she’d make a mad dash out of the cave.

But the circumstances needed to shine in her favor. One wrong move and her throat would split open. She burned the image of her surroundings into her memory. 

Owen sat leisurely on the other side of the room.

Luge had reluctantly cleaned the floors up again.

Only the Boss in front of her.

If she could get the Boss off of her and get past Luge, she would be free.

Her plan was practically perfect. Her brain sped up, formulating every possibility that she could utilize. Push him away with her legs, distract him with words, keep persuading him, fight ba-

“Then how did you teleport to our Base and how did you know where to find it?” Boss asked.

Teleport?

Her excuse no longer made sense.

“Answer me,” Boss said, tightening his grasp on the dagger.

Now or never! She yelled internally.

With a grunt, she threw her legs up, planted her feet against his chest, and knocked him away.

He collapsed backward and crashed into a wooden table, breaking it into splinters.

She forced her legs apart and the ropes fell to the ground.

She couldn’t do anything with her hands for now, but it didn’t matter.

Escape was in sight.

Pushing past a dazzled Luge, Avice sprinted to the left, shivers running up her spine.

“Get her!”

She ran with all her might outside of the cave, and once she was out, rain poured down and drenched her entirely. A dark, seemingly never-ending forest spread before her.

Where am I…?

The footsteps behind her grew louder. She panicked and made the decision. Leaping, she sprinted off toward the inside of the forest.

She didn’t bother looking back - she couldn't afford to.

“Call reinforcements! We can’t lose her!”

The darkness overwhelmed her, but she carried on. Nothing was going to stop her from escaping them. Nothing was going to keep her from running away from more pain.

Avice shoved branches out of the way and jumped over protruding and large roots.

Strong winds pushed against her.

Twigs and shrubs flew in the air towards her. She threw her arms up to protect herself when something hit her right arm, and she winced from the incredible pain. She scowled and tightened her fists.

What did they do to me?

Her heart pounded in her ears.

A tear dripped down her cheeks. She kept her eyes to the ground, making sure she doesn’t trip and fall.

Every blink stung and every breath burned her throat.

She hissed as her legs tensed and screamed every time she took a step.

Foot after foot, the pain surged up her body.

Her vision blurred. Her mind went numb.

Then she did it. She slipped.

She dove headfirst into the ground, mud splattering in the air. Her heart jumped. Mud, she thought. She smiled slightly. I hope this works. She swiftly rolled around in it, ignoring her entire body screaming at her to stop moving. She covered herself in as much of it as she could. Then, as soon as she stopped, their voices touched her ears.

“Where’d she go?!” Luge cried.

“I’ve requested the Dogs. They should be here soon,” Boss said.

“You can’t order them if you didn’t get clearance…” Luge said, baffled. “You told them we lost her?” Luge asked.

“Glory or death, Luge. The Eldreds only know one,” Boss responded.

“I think she went this way! The branches are broken here!” Owen called.

Their voices were getting closer.

How the hell are they already here?!

She dragged herself to the base of a nearby tree, and she got down, curling herself into a ball. She kept her eyes up, making sure she can see when the men spread out and disappear.

I can’t believe it…

The rain violently pounded against and around her, and thunder rolled in the distance. Avice shivered. Her teeth clattered. Her muscles ached. But she forced herself to stay still. 

Footsteps thudded in the mud. She tensed up.

“Is she here? Is she here?!” Luge demanded, his voice sounding much clearer and louder. “I told you, Boss. It’s too late now!”

“We need to split up, otherwise we’ll lose her,” Owen said.

“No. She can take you down one on one. Better to not risk it,” Boss said. “Sir Oliver will have our heads if we let her free.”

Go away! Just go!

A flash of lightning cut across the sky followed by a thunderous roar. “The Dogs are here.”

Blue lights hovered in midair before the men, and with a brilliant, blinding spark, four dogs appeared.

“They’re giving us a chance,” Boss said with a grin.

Her eyes widened. The beasts standing before her didn't even seem like dogs. No, they seemed more ferocious - deadlier. The Wolves stood taller than the men around them, and their beautiful white fur pierced the darkness. Cuts, bruises, and gashes covered their pelts. Their wild, ice blue eyes lit the dark, and a white vapor escaped their drooling snouts. Collars clamped around their necks.

With an orange glow, chains materialized and attached themselves to each wolf with a sharp clang. Boss grabbed onto all four of them.

“Down,” he ordered. The four sat down, their eyes focused on him. “The woman’s scent around me. Track her down.”

Avice didn’t allow them to take the advantage. She jumped from where she lied and made a mad dash away from the group.

“After her!”

The Wolves sprinted so fast that a white trail followed behind them, and they were already at her heels.

She winced as she sped up.

Every thud from the Wolves’ paws had her heart jump in fear.

She gritted her teeth as she leaped long strides, trying to create further distance from the beasts.

She knew her efforts to be vain, but she wouldn’t let herself lose without at least this much of a fight.

Then, their footsteps disappeared. Glancing backward, she panicked. 

Where’d they go?!

Four balls of pure white light zoomed past her, and with another flash, the Wolves appeared in front of her. Their paws settled gently on the ground. She reared her head to the side and forced herself to turn.

But in doing so, she lost a lot of speed, and one of the Wolves caught up to her.

With a powerful thud, a paw slammed against her back and forced her to the ground.

“No, no!” She yelled as she squirmed beneath it.

“We got her,” Owen said.

“Good, let’s get her up.”

The Wolf got off of her. If I make a wrong move, I’m dead… Owen and Luge got on both sides and lifted her by her arms. Blood dripped down her nose. 

“Boss listen to me. We need to kill her.”

She weakly batted her eyes. Boss approached her with a full-length sword in his hands. “Of course we do. The superiors ordered it.”

“Let me go,” she said.

“No talking!” The Boss yelled. “I’m not giving you any more time to get away.”

“Stop!” she yelled. “Let go of me!”

“Alpha Wolf, end her.”

One of them stepped forward and unhinged its jaw.

Every alarm in her head rang, an unbearable chill crawling across her skin.

It swiftly tried to take a bite when, with every fiber and ounce of energy left in her body, she screamed, “NO!”

Her voice had deafened even her. A sharp ring resounded in her body, her bones rattling violently. The men groaned and shoved their hands to their ears. They bent over, a stream of blood pouring out of their ears.

A huge wave of powerful vibrations boomed from her body. The men and three of the wolves flew backward, their weakened bodies slamming against the thick trees.

The rain curved around her as if a bubble of air hovered around her.

The entire forest shook.

The sounds around her muted, leaving only the deep hum of the tremors leaving her body.

“W-Wha…?”

The Wolf that tried to bite her still stood there.

She stared at it, and it stared back. The wild glare in its eyes disappeared.

It bowed down before her, and she held her breath as she realized what had happened.

The chains from the collar had broken off. It puffed and raised its head to the sky and howled.

“It’s free?! What the hell?!” Luge yelped.

"Run!" Boss screamed at his subordinates.

The men panicked and ran off in the other direction. The Alpha Wolf turned its eyes on them and bolted, followed by two more of its freed companions.

Taking this fleeting moment, she continued running away from them, hoping that she could at least find a good place to hide.

The problem was that she had no idea where she was.

What if there were more people like them around? What if she collapses? What if one of the wolves comes back?

And what had she done back there?

She thought back to every time she felt like that or said the word ‘no’, but nothing like this had ever happened before.

But she focused on her feet and ran.

She came upon a rushing river. Bending down, she shoved her hands into the water, gathered as much as she could, and poured it into her mouth. The chilling, somewhat nasty liquid gave her more energy. Running her eyes along the river, a thought came to her.

Villages or towns usually form around these, right?

Without even giving a moment of hesitation, she trusted her instincts and ran alongside it.

And to her luck, she eventually came in contact with a towering wall.

She walked alongside it, searching for a gate. And when she found one, for the first time in forever, her heart jumped with joy. She smiled as she pounded on the door, “Let me in! Please let me in!” With as little strength she had left, she slammed her fists against the wood.

Avice continued begging her heart out.

But nothing happened.

The rains must’ve been drowning out her voice. She fell to the ground, her uneven breathing stabilizing.

Then something caught her eye.

A mysterious, shimmering white light shone brightly in the woods before her. It’s here… she thought. It wants to kill me. She panicked. It sprinted towards her, and she couldn’t even lift a limb.

“A Despairity?!” Someone yelled above her.

The wolf cocked its head up, and its blue eyes flashed.

It leaped over her and clambered up the wall.

She coughed, trying to get her ragged breath in order. Her back rested against the wooden door. She blinked tiredly, her body slipping into a lull. Too many things. I just- I just need to rest.

The world around her darkened.

Avice shut her eyes and she fell asleep.