Please don't die on me (OPEN)

[Djakara]

(Open, as long as you talk with me in the recruitment thread (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=45890#post45890) first)

“The thing is, I could let this go, but I just can’t…” Djakara began. “I keep having these dreams, that I’m a soldier, or a diplomat, or sometimes it’s just that I’m a schoolboy who goes out of the yard to play…”

The older man shook his head. He was less than impressed. “Everyone has dreams,” he declared gruffly. “Thing is, you learn with age just how little the fuck they matter. A few wishes here and a good intention never brought us anything but war…”

Djakara bit his lip at the mention of war. There was so much he wanted to say on the subject, but felt as if he couldn’t. The moment he were to open his mouth, it would be like a damn had ruptured and nothing but a lifetime’s worth of sublimated emotions would surge through. The word war, especially from the lips of someone so old, brought nothing but bitterness to Djakara’s lips. He felt particularly betrayed by the old people, the ones who had been around and able to have stopped the war from ever occurring.

However, now was not a good time to talk politics. Dystopia was one of the few cities still controlled by the Republic. In the Republic zones, there was no discussion of politics allowed, especially discussion of the causes of the recent war. While they may have been torn asunder, it seemed that the Republic’s armed forces had fared a bit better than the average citizen, and so in areas like Dystopia, Djakara knew to bite his tongue.

Though it had not been his intention, Djakara soon found that the old man had taken his silence for agreement. “You’ll find I’m right when you’re sixty, even if it’s hard to swallow now…” the older man had said, with a voice that seemed to assume wisdom was a natural right of ageing.

Djakara smiled a little. The old man’s tone had grown a bit softer, now that he believed there was agreement. For a moment, Djakara mulled over his options. He could say nothing and let the conversation remain pleasant, or he could choose contradict the older man and press for information. The latter was particularly risky in Dystopia, a heated conversation could easily escalate into violence. A fight could be dire for Djakara, old age was a badge of honor and the police were too concerned with maintaining power to be even remotely interested in law enforcement.

As all prudent people would, Djakara chose a middle path. “You are certainly right,” he said. “But still… let me see this portal for myself, that is if the rumors are true and all. Please, for pity’s sake. I would just like to look on it… or the building that houses it, just to know that I had the choice and chose not to make it.” Djakara intentionally hung his head before finishing his plea, just to attract a bit more sympathy. “I guess in the end I just want to make some kind of choice…”

The old man smiled. “No one’s ever made a choice son, and you’re prob’ly not lucky enough to be the first… anyways, if you go down past the barnyard there on the patch road, you should be able to see it. The Republic guards it, but they have kept it out in the open, prob’ly because it’ll do no harm for kids like you to look. Go on, it’s surrounded by some armed guards and barbed wire…”

“Thank you!” Djakara replied briskly. “You’re ever so kind!”

The two men parted ways. Djakara never looked back at the old man, not even to check to see if the stranger had possessed a weapon. Djakara had nothing more than his ambitions, and it would take more than armed guards with desolation beams to stop him. If he succeeded, there was sunlight, and if he failed, there was death. Either option promised transcendence.

Thus, as Djakara walked down the road towards the portal, he knew he would never be walking that route again.

[Artifex Felicis]

((I'm just assuming that the rift opens up in Concordia, if this is a problem just let me know and I can change it.))

There was a great many things that could be said about the resilience of nature, and especially in Corone's large forest of Concordia. Despite the unusually high number of problems that often arise within its trees, there was very little that ever managed to truly change the landscape of the great forest. A thousand and one dangerous and wondrous creatures stalked through the leaves at some time or another, and the biggest difference that had ever happened to the forest was the logging town of underwood. Despite the constant caravans of lumber making its way from the town towards the mainland, there was little evidence of headway being made into the great forest.

For all the dangers of the forest, it also held and allure that was hard to resist when one got closer. Many never even bothered to try and leave the area, stuck fast like immobile stone giants. A great many ended up working in Underwood for a good paycheck and good food, though more than a few made their lives comfortable by hunting for the skins of animals. A select few of the hunters had even made it to the big, living more comfortably then some of the princes of other nations. Despite the successes, for every single man who made it big there was a considerable amount more who didn't even come back at all from the dark trees.

Still, for everything dangerous about it, the people of underwood had a rather interesting way of dealing with it. Given the fact there wasn't many hungry mouths in the town, often there was a good amount of money floating around for people willing to investigate various odd sightings. There were very few who made a living off of it, and many more hapless people who came back with irreparable damage to their bodies. Then again, the inhabitants only tried to send those that wouldn't be missed or those who'd survive without much trouble along to do their dirty work. It was what the natives affectionally called a tourist trap.

The cat boy had been staying in Underwood for about a week now, making his living by bringing back a good sized deer every other day or so to help pay for his room at the inn, and heard about the latest particular event that had managed to make its way up to the tourist trap. Given the fact the amount of gold under what the entry on the Trap Board, Leon had decided to swallow his pride and inspect it. It didn't seem to be terribly dangerous, but the fumes that were around the area supposedly began to remind the loggers who were nearby of some sort of low-level rotting smell. They found it hard to breath, as if that very area was quickly decaying. The job was merely to try and figure out exactly what the fumes where coming from and try to stop it.

Leon set out early in the day, taking with him a general assortment of items on his person. A couple yarn balls, a bell on a choker round his neck, and a hat that rested on his head, covering the two fuzzy white ears coming out of the side of his head. He set out in the direction of the fumes with a brisk pace, catching breakfast and eating it with care not to spill any fluids onto himself. He came to the fumes quickly enough, putting his hat over his nose and mouth to try and block the fumes from reaching him. Despite his efforts, the heavy smell and taste got to him, nearly making him gag at it. "Holy crap" was all that escaped him when he first got there, preferring to hold his breath and take as little breaths as possible.

A moment of searching and he came across what he thought was the reason for the fumes. He smiled behind the hat clamped across his face, glad that what looked like it was causing the foul smelling fog was not anything literally dead. There was, at least to the cat's eyes, a rip in the air, like in a piece of cloth or paper.The boy hesitated, taking cautious steps towards it as he did so. There was a little amount of gold for finding the reason of the smog, but an entire zero was added to the sum for stopping it. He wrestled in his mind, trying to decide if it was worth the risk. His tail came around when he was close enough, touching the portal as delicately as a flower, and no pain came from it. He took a breath, diving in, doing his best to clear his mind of what could happen and fill it with the large sum of gold pieces he would have at the end.

The view changed considerably the moment his head passed through the rip, but his eyes never got a moment to focus. Instead, they watered up immediately, not bothering to try and let the poor kid see straight. The smoke outside the rip however, was like breathing everyday air in Concordia compared to this. He coughed violently, falling to his knees and straining to breath. He lost his grip on his hat as he began to cough again, barely getting enough air to keep consciousness for a few moments. He tried to call for help, but all that escaped him was a low whimper as blackness devoured his blurry vision.

[Djakara]

(Concordia is fine. Also, bunnies in this post have been approved.)

Djakara had hidden himself in the ruins of a building as he saw the feline appear out from the portal. Up to that moment, despite his certainty towards his goals, the boy had been paralyzed by his lack of any real planning. Like most with burning desires, Djakara had been so fixated on his ambitions that he had never thought how he planned to achieve them. The barbed wire and three armed guards were not going to stop him, but the boy was going to have to stay hidden until he had thought the scenario through.

Now though, Djakara was going to have no choice but to act. The feline that had come through had alerted the guards attentions towards inside the barbed wire. No longer were the barrels of their desolation rifles scanning the perimeter for strangers like him. With his heart beating excitedly, Djakara realized that he might have just been presented with his best and only chance.

“One of them has even dropped his rifle,” the boy realized as he moved up from a crouched position. He kept his spear-scythe fastened across his back and began to move quickly. Two of the guards were already on the feline, one of them poking at the creature curiously while the other held back to fire if necessary. The third guard was merely looking on curiously, paying little attention to the fact that Djakara had managed to creep up behind him and knock him down to the ground with a quick blow to the head.

The boy smiled, and lifted up the rifle. “Nobody moves,” he said, knowing that the noise from the attack would have alerted the other two guards. “Nobody gets hurt that way…”

The two guards both looked at each other nervously. The one that had been examining the feline fumbled around for his weapon as the other turned to face Djakara. Now the two desolation beams were trained on each other.

Djakara’s muscles tensed. The air in Dystopia was not only filled with noxious fumes but the tension of a standoff. The guard spoke, he told Djakara to stand down, that he had another guard with him and that the whole affair would end very badly if Djakara didn’t listen. Djakara didn’t listen. He pressed the trigger. The guard was so shocked that the boy would behave so irrationally that he was vaporized before he could have pulled the trigger. Djakara now trained the desolation rifle on the last guard, and had fired a successful shot before the poor man could have put his finger around the trigger of his rifle.

Surprised at his success, Djakara stumbled for thoughts. His eyes were now open wide, and he realized that he had just killed two people. He hadn’t even thought about it, it had never occurred to him that his leaving Faraiaera would have necessitated any deaths. Now, his entire body shivered, with a mix of both fear and excitement. The boy dropped the rifle and ran over toward the feline.

“He must be from the past,” Djakara realized. The void was not a rend in space at all, but a rip in time. The first inhabitants of Faraiaera were feline, and the one now passed out before Djakara’s feet had to be one of them.

For a moment, Djakara contemplated just leaving the feline and heading into the past. Every one of his limbs tinged with excitement. Now he would be able to change the past, perhaps so much so as to make the Ethical Law extend throughout the Aristocracy, so there never would have been a reason for war.

Djakara no longer needed to escape, he was going to have a chance to return to his home in peace. The boy smiled at the realization. That was the last thought he had before feeling a sharp pain to the back of his head.

When he woke up, Djakara was in a small metal room. It was empty, save for the feline.

(Colin- feel free to have had Leon come to before Djakara.)

[Artifex Felicis]

Waking up in a completely different place from when you first closed your eyes is a disturbing experience. Much more so when you don't even know where on Althanas you even were. Leon experienced this first hand, his breath doing considerably much better than it had when he first passed through the portal. Then again, his chest was in a constant, dull ache and there was a light squeak whenever he drew breath. It was like constantly having a children toy connected to his lungs, never stopping.

He coughed, then resumed squeaking softly in the cold room. Despite how much he wanted to get out of there, he struggled enough with merely getting his body to a sitting position with back against the hard cool wall. He placed a furred paw against his chest, feeling his heart beat with a reassuring continuity. For all of his adventures and journeys across Althanas, there was nothing close to the very air he was breathing. It was considerably better than what the outside, or at least as far as he could tel. That didn't say much however, and he cold still taste that same decaying rot whenever he opened his mouth for air.

Instead, he began to slowly move his body, each part at a time. He started with his bare feet, wiggling them and then testing to see if they were strong enough to support him. He pushed against the wall with his arms weakly, but still managed to rise onto his legs weakly. It was considerably more liberating than he ever thought it was, setting aside a mental note a mental note to thank whatever god made him for his legs. His knees hobbled together somewhat, and he slid back down before they gave way again. They were sore, but the pins and needles that were now beginning to slowly spread his legs told a different story. His tail though was different. It hurt like it was stepped on a couple times, an experience that the cat boy had experienced a bit too often for his own liking.

He looked around his cage, for lack of a better word to describe the strange room he was in. It was larger than the average room, easily enough for a puzzling man to pace for just long enough for dramatic effect. On one of the other sides was another body of a human kid about Leon's age, though a little younger. Not that it mattered, if a mouse wanted to nibble at him he could do no more than slowly swipe at it with a paw. The other kid began to move though, stirring as is from a long blissful sleep. Leon shifted, smiling, and despite his intentions, revealing feline teeth that could be taken either way. He made a slight fist out of his paw, the muscles in the arm waking up a bit more and getting considerably stronger than their baby chick status they were in a few minutes ago.

"Nice to see you," the cat boy managed, coughing as he finished violently. He spat the phlegm that formed into the corner, surprised at the sound of his own voice. While not the greatest, he almost always had some way of making people at least think he was confident. Now it came out raspy and soft, like a dieing man's. He wondered idly about it, if he really was never going to make it back to Althanas. No more gold pieces than the ten he had on his person, no more true magic, no more games, no more cat girls. The thought was despressing, especially so since he really didn't seem to get that disturbed by losing all of it. The boy coaughed again, the weakly said again as best as he could manage. "Mind filling me in a bit?"

[Djakara]

Djakara wasn’t really able to say much to the feline at first. He stumbled a bit with his thoughts, trying to figure out what had happened. Soon enough, the young boy could piece enough of it together, there had been a few more guards that had arrived on the scene, and they had brought him here for questioning. He didn’t know why they wouldn’t just have chosen to kill him, especially since he had attacked Republic guards. Nursing the sore back of his head with his hand, Djakara found there was an open wound. Dried blood and matted hair had served to create a makeshift bandage, but touching the spot was particularly ginger.

It was only after all this inspection that Djakara felt as if he could make any sense of the cat person’s question. “We’re in the future for you,” he said. “At least I think. I don’t really know where the portal goes to, I thought it went to another planet, but the people here before us were cat people, so you’re probably one of them…”

With that explanation, Djakara got back up to his feet. “And the thing is, since you’re in here with me, you’re probably in trouble. It’s not because you did anything, but I just don’t anticipate that the Republic take kindly to intruders, even intruders from somewhere in history… you’re going to have to help me escape.” Pausing only for a quick breath, the boy continued as he started to survey the walls. They were metal, what kind of metal exactly Djakara wasn’t sure. His weapons were not with him, and the boy had no idea to where they had gotten to. The door was locked shut, though a few pushes at it revealed that the lock was a more old fashioned clasp and not magnetic.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” Djakara asked the feline irritably. “Whatever trouble I’m in, you’re in it too…”

The fact was, Djakara hadn’t really given the feline time to react. The boy was so frustrated now that his goal had been so close and yet he had failed to act on it. The promises of the portal were even greater than he had anticipated. Once he made his way through the portal, he would be able to turn time in a way that prevented all the wars. Everything would be as it should. Djakara wondered if his memories would be erased, or whether he would be the only one who remembered the horrors of his current reality. Once he was to escape this cage, he was going to head straight for the portal, and he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Weapons or inquiry be damned, nothing was going to stand in his way once he broke back out into the world.

However, before Djakara could forment any other plans, he was interrupted. A pair of soldiers were outside the door, and they were talking. From the deferential tone in one of their voices, Djakara could tell one of them was an officer while the other was not.

“So you caught them?” the officer said.

“Yessuh…” the other man replied.

A series of questions followed. The officer was quite abrupt in his questioning, and the answers were quite brief.

“One came through the portal, the other’s from here and he’s trying to get through?”

“Yessuh”

“The one from the other side passed out automatically?”

“Yessuh, the air.”

“Will others from his side suffer the same problem?”

“Most likely suh, ‘lest they get adjusted.”

“And the boy from here, does he know where the portal leads?”

“Don’t think so suh, he was looking over the feline suh”

“Well that may have given him a clue,” the officer said. He paused for a moment, mulling over the ramifications. “Know of his affiliation?” he finally asked.

“None suh…” the other soldier replied. “He did kill one of our men though…”

“Well… let’s just see what happens here,” the officer concluded. “We need soldiers, and the boy is resourceful.”

“Resourceful enough to kill…” the soldier shot back, as if he resented the idea that Djakara might live.

“We’ll see what happens,” the officer said. “Now unlock the door.”

A few seconds later the door was unlocked and open. A desolation rifle was pointed right at Djakara’s chest.

Djakara exhaled. He wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but he felt the answers to the questions he was about to give would determine whether or not the soldier pressed the trigger.

“Just wait for a moment there boy, with your back against the wall,” the officer said, as he pulled out a smaller pistol and pointed it at Leon. “I’m going to want to talk with the fuzzball first.”

(bunny the NPCs as you wish. Get any information your character would want that you see logical to receive)

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat boy would have laughed at the youth try to escape their prison cell. It only hit him that they were in one after the pale boy told him. It made considerably more sense than anything his frazzled mind was trying to tell him. Instead he merely smiled at his attempts to leave the cell, as well as his panic at the situation. Not that it wasn't new to the cat boy, but after Althanas there were few things that truly got the coughing man to get surprised. It also probably helped he wasn't focusing on much beyond getting each and every breath in and out. Every other word fell on Leon's deaf ears as he almost physically pushed his chest to help breath out. It was frustrating, to say the least. Still, the thought of this being the future Althanas was more depressing than he would have thought. He silently vowed never to touch Alerar's new technology unless he had to.

Before the cat boy could work up the courage to speak again, mostly to tell the pale kid to shut up and just wait, the metal door opened. Two men entered, one who looked like he used a silver spoon for his oatmeal and the other looked like a nameless generic gourd. He paused, actually bothering this time to try and catch what the officer said in the beginning. The pale kid was pushed to the back wall at gunpoint. Leon wished they were in each others shoes now. He was fast enough to move before that card could realize to pull the trigger to stop him. All thoughts of that fantasy were driven from his mind when a very scary looking small thing was pointed at him. It looked like a gun, but too different to ever be one. Nevertheless, he could very plainly see he was on the wrong side of it. He renewed his vow to never touch Alerar technology again.

"What's you name kitty?" The officer with the gun said. Leon's smile was wiped from his face, and he stared back up at the man. Despite every fiber his more primitive side telling him to attack, he couldn't. This wasn't some nameless grunt, but someone who deserved to be where he was now.

"Leon Timyon," the cat boy replied, shifting himself slowly. He coughed again, talking using more air than he thought. It continued for a minute or two, and the boy spat into the same corner again, away from the officer with the dangerous looking thing and the other two in the room.

"Sounds cliche Leon. Now then, just nod or shake your head, I only need one or two answers for now, first, Have you ever been to Raieara?" Leon nodded his head, wondering why the officer had asked such a question. "Second, are you armed?" Again, Leon nodded, which lead to the officer shaking his head as he advanced forward, sure in his step as he knelt down before the cat boy, a look of seriousness that never changed. The strange object, which Leon had decided was the descendent of a flintlock, was still pointed at his chest, ready to make cavities in his body.

He patted his prisoner down quickly with one hand, not bothering to check and secret spots for anything dangerous. The most the officer came up with were several balls of yarn Leon kept on his person, which the officer placed in his own jacket. While not the most obvious of tricks, it could have made a good garrote wire in any case. Not everyone had a magic trick with yarn like Leon. Then the officer took a hold of Leon's arm, fingers pressing down on various spots near where the arm bent. Boy tried to stay as limp as possible, and his curiosity was satisfied when four gleaming claws shot out of his hand after a couple pressings into his skin. He blinked for a moment, but thought better than to simply try to ask about it. The man's fingers traveled up, pushing aside Leon's lips, revealing teeth that would have made most other predators jealous. The officer smilied, standing up and backing away after that. When he turned to his subordinate though, his face was as set in gaze of seriousness that would have made a stone crumble.

"The fuzzball checks out, now watch him while I talk to this kid," the officer said. The guard followed the man's implied order without hesitation, affixing his rifle onto the cat boy's chest as the officer turned to the pale prisoner.\

((Pressure points for the thing with his claws, for the recourd))

[Djakara]

The officer turned his gun towards Djakara. The boy was frightened, not so frightened as to cower or otherwise beg for mercy, but frightened nonetheless. He was a complete bundle of emotions, fear because of the situation, disappointment because of how close he had come to escape, but perhaps most importantly, Djakara’s heart burned to escape. Not knowing how to react through Leon’s questioning, the boy kept his mouth silent, but still scheming of an escape. All of his ideas were useless, and he knew that immediately once he’d thought of them. Now that the officer was addressing him, Djakara did his best to snap out of this muddled set of emotions to answer the questions.

“After all,” he reminded himself. “Your life’s at stake here.”

The officer began with a more abrupt question than Djakara would have liked. “Why did you kill my soldier, kid? Did the Aristocracy send you?”

Djakara gulped visibly. He wasn’t ready to answer a question like that. The fact was, with all the other emotions running through his head, the boy had yet to even realize the fact that he had killed someone. Now, he didn’t feel frightened or ambitious or even dejected anymore. Djakara just felt sorry. “I- I didn’t mean to…”

“I see,” the officer replied. Immediately after he’d uttered his reply, Djakara wished he’d said something else. The officer didn’t seem to react much at the response, and that made the young boy nervous. He had always wanted to talk with a Republic officer, but not under these circumstances.

Figuring he had to say something else to help his case, Djakara just began to speak. It was as if in his desperation, all his inhibitions were completely released and every single thought spewed out of his mouth just as fast as he could think it. “Ididn’meaniteverythingwasgoingsowellIwantedto escapeandall…” he muttered, before catching his breath and repeating himself. “I- I, just wanted a way out…” he explained. “Life is tough here now, and I wanted to go back to the past to put the Ethical Law in the Aristocracy,” Djakara continued, his eyes now beginning to well with tears. “I- I didn’t want anyone to die…”

The officer nodded. “You get used to death son… you should be used to it by now, given the times in which you live. Get yourself together…”

Djakara sniffled. “What-what’s going to happen to me?”

“You’ll be freed, both you and your friend, once you undergo testing,” the officer replied. “This fuzzball of yours is the first thing to cross through the portal, and you’re the Citizen to have come the closest and lived. We’re going to test you, to see if the portal really is safe. Compose yourselves now though, we know you’re not enemies, and you’ll both be use to us yet. You might get to serve the Republic after all…”

“It would be an honor,” Djakara said, even though he didn’t mean it. He just knew it was the right thing to say.

The officer and soldier left, but this time the door remained open. Djakara contemplated running, but opted against it. There were probably armed guards not too far off from them, and he was just too emotionally spent. Now, he began to feel embarrassed about the way he had behaved, and began to sniffle up at his tears and wipe them from his face. “Sorry…” he said, apologizing to the feline though it was clear that he was really apologizing to himself. “We should probably stay here now…”

[Artifex Felicis]

Filling in the blanks was never one of Leon's strong points. If anything, it was because he wasn't able to truly focus on everything needed to do it well. However, having a large rifle pointed at your chest is a great way to sharpen your focus, and the officer and the boy were literally everything that the cat boy paid attention to. Nevertheless, he was still slowly getting lost as the two talked. Despite that, the strange cool walls didn't echo, and Leon's head was still ringing in a headache. Thankfully, it seemed to be more like the type that came from a bad night's sleep and not anything dangerous.

Even with his effort, what they spoke about only further confused him, but also nearly confirmed that he wasn't even on Althanas anymore. As far as his knowledge of the governments went, there was no republic, or any Ethical Law that he knew of. Still, most of it he was still able to understand without much trouble. The people spoke a strange form of common, somehow, and also merely had a rather large accent that the boy was used to from his time in Raieara. It was comforting knowing what was going to happen to him. Having all of these people stare at him and speaking in different tongues wouldn't have been nearly as comforting.

A wide smile broke the boys face as he heard about their eventual freedom. There was a nagging feeling there was a long string attached to it, but the news was still sweet to his ears. Testing was something he doubted was going to be terribly dangerous to either of the prisoners, at the very least they would probably help Leon with his breath. It had been getting considerably better since he woke up, and he was sure he could talk somewhat well now. The slight squeak was gone, and the pain in his chest dulled to a low throb whoever he took a breath. Far better than when he passed out from the fumes outside.

Leon began to stand for the second time after the officer left, his legs and body in general working better than it had before. The cat boy was glad, his body was only asleep in a weird position. His tail still hurt like someone heavy stepped on it, and from the strange way it bent near the end, probably broke it. It seemed no matter where he was, his tail took a considerable amount of the punishment. It was probably the sixth or seventh time his tail had been broken in that same spot. The boy shrugged, wrapping the extra appendage around his waist like a belt. The bent spot in the tail was tender to touch, and he took care to thread the damaged part through the loop on his pants. His tail was long, and dispute the fact it didn't hurt too much when stepped on, crowds were a considerable problem when walking. It was a neat little idea of the boy's, and save him more pain than one could have guessed.

"It's fine, it's fine," Leon replied to the pale boy, adjusting his tail somewhat so the loop didn't ride against the tender part of his tail. He waved off the boy's apology, smiling. He didn't blame him for his little rant, half of it he didn't even pay attention to.He looked up at the boy, deciding the leave his tail as it was. HE coughed, though it didn't sound, or feel, as bad as his previous ones were. He smiled at the kid. "So then, just who are you? They'll probably send someone soon enough, and I got a feeling we're together for a while."

[Djakara]

Djakara didn’t answer the feline immediately. Instead, he took as long as he needed to compose himself before starting to speak. “Yeah, we’re stuck with each other,” Djakara began. “I’m Djakara though… call me Jak.” Weary from the interrogation, the boy rubbed his hand over his face and tried to exhale out his frustrations. “Now that you’re in the Republic, don’t trust anyone…”

While it was sound advice, Djakara wasn’t sure why he offered it to the feline, especially since there were guards that could have heard. While he was naïve in many respects, everyone who grew up during the war knew no other way to live but to show no emotions towards the Republic but trust. Anything else could be fatal if it fell on the wrong ears. However, Djakara was beyond caring now. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to live, but he just didn’t want to live there. Somehow, he was going to get back through that portal, no matter how long it took him.

Djakara didn’t share those thoughts with the feline, and it was convenient. Had he been talking of his escape plans, he would have undoubtedly been interrupted by the officer who had interrogated him earlier. This time, the officer came along with three guards, though none of them were armed. They returned Djakara’s things to him, and afforded the feline the same courtesy. Djakara was particularly surprised that he had received his weapon.

“It’s good form that your family keeps a ceremonial weapon from the old times,” the officer said as the spear-scythe was returned to the boy. “Though this is a particularly odd one… Fraye?”

“Yes,” Djakara replied.

The officer nodded. “Interesting.”

Djakara took that as a sign that he was going to be allowed to live. He knew at that point that he should have been counting his blessings and been so overwhelmed by gratitude that he did nothing to jeopardize it, but the fact of the matter was events did not seem particularly congruent. He had been cudgeled, locked in a room, disarmed, only to suddenly have his freedom and weapons restored. It all seemed like a weird dream, and for a few seconds, the boy wished that was the case.

“Thing is, why give me my weapon back?” Djakara asked. “You don’t know me yet…”

“Oh…” the officer replied. “I don’t have to. You wouldn’t get anywhere. You’re on the fifth story of a seven story building, and we have guards and cameras all along the stairwell. Using your weapons on us would just show us where your loyalties really lie…”

Djakara gulped. He figured that was true, and realized just how pathetic his fate was. Now, he was enlisted into fighting not only the army that killed his parents, but the army that stood between him and his dream. The worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it.

“Get settled and ready to fight,” the officer demanded. “When you’re prepared, leave the room and go down three doors on your right. You’ll know you’re in the right room if the walls are blank and there is no sound. I expect you there in fifteen minutes maximum”

With that, the officer and his soldiers left, leaving Djakara and the feline to get their armor on and their weapons ready. As Djakara prepared, he wasn’t sure whether he was more unsettled by the seeming contradictions and uncertainty of the setting, or if he was so far removed from reaching the other side of the portal.

[Artifex Felicis]

Jak seemed to be an interesting kid to say the least. Leon liked the boy almost immediately. He didn't seem like the type who would fly of the handle without some sort of reason for doing so. Despite how naive he seemed to be, it was clear to the cat boy the kid had all the makings of a hero if he got shoved into the right spot. Not that it mattered much, for all the cat boy could guess Jak would crumble and be the one to shoot an ally in the back so he would come out on top. Given their situation, Leon was being optimistic for Jak turning out to be a hero. Mostly because he seemed like the only friend he had in this new world. Leon was frightened, but he didn't know how things worked here.

When the officer returned, Leon was particularly pleased to receive his weaponry back. The Republic soldiers couldn't take too much, considering a good amount was attached to his body, but they seemed to take everything that could be used of value, including the small bag of gold on his person. It was all returned to him however by one of the gauds that flanked the officer. He was handed his items back one by one, from the yarn to the kdull knife he used every once in a while. He could almost hear the gaurd's comments in his head, but it didn't matter. It was the yarn that was dangerous, and not the knife. Heck, Leon once won a fifty gold bet that the nice couldn't stick to a wooden shield. It seemed even a titan couldn't use the small blade to cut anything more than simple yarn.

He listened to the officer along with the youth, putting each of his things back into their proper spots. He did not that he small gold bag was lighter than it was, and considerably so. He scowled inwardly, trying to not to betray his temporary annoyance. The gold was worth only a small amount on Althanas, but it was more so the principle of the matter. Still, it was a comforting weight to have the yarn and the knife on his body, even if the latter was useless in a real fight beyond distraction. It appeared though, that a real fight was exactly what the two were going to have to fight. At first, he was somewhat hesitant, even afraid. It seamed like he would have to fight Jak, but it seemed something else was already prepared. He wondered idly for a moment just how long he was out before waking up in the metal jail cell.

The cat boy moved tentatively at first, unsure of what to do. He knew where to go, but it was beginning to dawn on Leon that this was one of the few times he truly didn't know where he was. He swallowed, trying to bite down the sudden paranoia that came upon him. He smiled weakly, succeeding enough to at least feel somewhat better about the situation. He needed something familiar to calm himself down. Though, he also wasn't a big fan of what the officer said about how high up they were. Leon was not afraid of heights, but had no real basis on what to judge five stories as. Though from the way the officer described it, Leon couldn't hop from a window to safety. He sighed, releasing his grip on his knife. He didn't even realize he had been squeezing the hilt so hard until his hand began to hurt. He started for the door, not waiting for Jak to make the first move, and took a right, not bothering to try and see if he could escape. From what the officer implied, the quickest way back home was to go along with his game.

[Djakara]

Djakara wasn’t as nervous as he entered the training room as he was mentally weary. Given everything he had been through, the boy didn’t particularly want to exert much energy, in particular that much energy on something that wouldn’t lead to his escape. “Somehow… someway I need to get out of this,” he thought to himself. However, action for its own sake would hardly be worth it at that time. Djakara didn’t even know how much Leon could be trusted as an ally. The boy hoped that the feline would make a reliable friend, but there was no guarantee that the shared situation brought upon them by coincidence would lead to an alliance between them of any substance in the long haul.

And it was going to be a long haul. Djakara didn’t know how the Republic worked any more, but during the last days of the war the government had been particularly thorough in its recruitment practices. Now, he stood with Leon in the middle of an empty white room. There was a panel of opaque glass against one wall, and the boy was certain that there was someone observing him on the other side. Now, Djakara drew his weapon and gulped. There was going to be some kind of a fight, and the boy had never really fought anyone up until the portal. Even in the few years when he’d been able to go to school with other children, Djakara had shied away from fights, figuring that they weren’t worth his time. Now, he took a nervous glance towards Leon, hoping that the feline would help him if needed.

Like the voice of an unknown deity, the Republic officer’s voice sounded out of a hidden loudspeaker. “You are not going to fight each other, so do not become apprehensive about it,” the voice instructed. “In a moment, three of our training robots will arrive. They can hurt you, if you aren’t careful. Your job will be to deactivate them.”

Djakara wondered just how much of that Leon understood. However, the boy never got a moment of explanation. Three robots entered into the room. None of them looked particularly intimidating but Djakara wasn’t fooled. Anything the Republic trained with was dangerous. Thus, he eyed them carefully, trying to gauge their offensive capacity. They were undoubtedly built for function. The robots looked like they hadn’t been washed in a while, and their initial grey paint was starting to peel. Save for some green lights, they were monochromatic. The could move fast, that much was certain. In lieu of legs, the robots possessed conveyor belt wheels, and while they were short and stumpy, they all had long reaches. Each arm was equipped with a blunt metal rod, and with the force that these robots undoubtedly had, Djakara knew they could deal a lethal blow.

However, they would be controlled by the Republic. Djakara hoped that at the very least, they were not going to be put under attack. Things had made little sense so far. First, they were supposed to be tested for the effects of the portal, and now they were sent to train with weapons. It seemed that there was a bit of conflict over what they wanted, typical of a dysfunctional army bureaucracy but still strange for the Republic. Still, it was unlikely they had changed their minds again and now set the robots out to kill them.

Still, Djakara knew that it was best to end the game quickly, just in case there was any trouble. The stakes were hopefully as simple as impressing the Republic’s officers, but they could be as dire as life.

“Each robot has three green lights, one on its head, one on its chest and one on its back,” the officer’s voice explained again over the loudspeaker. “When all three are hit, the robots are deactivated.”

Djakara moved backwards, unsure if he was trying to create space to strategize or just moving out of fear. Either way, he hoped that Leon was good enough to make sure this training didn’t last long. He wouldn’t be able to do all that much just on his own.

[Artifex Felicis]

The room was probably one of the single most boring places Leon had ever been in, even including the jail cell he just left. There was nothing to make the people inside feel at home, nor did it shun them away. It was if the room was a sterile old gaurd dog, not wanted and not wanting of anybody or anything. Leon blinked a few times, finding it hard to even truly catch shadows under the strange lighting. Jak seemed to be paler and sickly under the distorted light, and he had no doubts that he was exactly the same. He took a step to the side, still unaware of what rules this strange game of his captors would take.

The voice of the officer came through. The cat boy pondered, noticing a strange tinge to it, almost as if the a hint of metal was in there. It was yet another thing that the magic on Althanas surpassed this strange world, also invoking a sort of homesickness that was setting in. He was confused by what the officer was describing, but whatever a robot was suddenly came into the room, followed by two others. The cat boy relaxed somewhat, finding some similarity in their metallic bodies. Aside from their queer feet wheels, they looked exactly like minor war golems from his home, and like golem they had certain weaknesses that he could exploit.

The three glowing green lights, which would have been where the golems of Althanas would leak the magic that fueled them, were explained by the officer. Having targets to hit was a bit easier than smashing a blunt object into their chest to rip out whatever fueled the golem. He kept smiling though, not bothering to draw yarn or his knife. He held his paws up, twisting his wrists. Small cracks emerged from the action, and he cracked his knuckles after. It didn't hurt, and whatever psychological effect they had on the golems was probably lost. Cheap Man-made constructs meant for the front lines would not be as disturbingly effective with a sense of fear.

One of the golems slid forward, like he was on ice or a wagon, and swung the pole at Leon quickly. He raised his hands, catching and stopping the heavy cudgel without damage to himself. He could see one of the other golems moving towards Jak, and the third simply moving forward and into range to prevent the two test subjects from helping the other. It was a clever trick, given the smallish confines of the room. The other golem's arm began to come around as the one with the club pulled back. Leon held onto the club, his strength somewhat equal to the golem. His other paw, blocked the arm, sending a jolt up his arm from the sudden pain. The robot was strong at least.

His grin grew wider as he twisted his aching hand, gripping the arm somewhat feebly. His led shot up, smashing into the chest piece of the golem. The green light there went out as a dent formed from under his bare foot. He reared his foot back again, straining to keep the golems arms from mashing him into goo now. His kick connected solidly with the golems head, though not as hard as it did with the chest. The green light still went out however, though it didn't stop the increasing pressure of the arms trying to squish him. The cat boy thought for a moment, figuring out where to go from there. A single green light remained on the golem's rusty back, and a idea of how to get it.

He unhooked his tail from its resting spot, wincing as he used the muscles near where he suspected it was broken. He gritted his teeth, promising his tail in his head he'd make it up to the appendage that began near his rear. There was no real spot for where the golems would see, and Leon suspected they operated under the impression to attack all possible spots. He stepped closer to the Robot, his tail going over the golem's shoulder and curling somewhat near where the green light seemed to be. The boy grit his teeth, a dull slap of metal on furred flesh and a suddenly immobile golem rewarding his trick. He just hoped the officer could help to fix his tail somewhat.

The cat boy shoved himself against the golem that was in front of him, his tail slipping back behind him like a snake. He twisted the metal hunk, aiming for the other golem. Leon pushed, moving it slowly but quickly gaining enough speed to crash into the other golem without any real damage to the boy. The living golem tipped somewhat, caught off balance by its former ally. The green light on that one's chest went out, though Leon's eyes were blocked by his makeshift battering ram. He popped his head up, checking for the golem's status. All though that he might be killed here was lost on him. He simply assumed that Djakara would be able to handle the other golem for long enough. The cat boy shot his arm out towards the final robot, sending a jolt to match the one in his other arm as his palm connected solidly with the golem's head. It was enough, pushing over the golem and onto its back with a heavy crash. The final two green lights on that one blinked off, rendering the metal construct immobile. Leon turned back towards Jak, the jolt from the strike leaving his arm. All that would remain would be the pale kid's golem.

[Djakara]

The robots moved off from each other, stemming any chances that Djakara and Leon would have had to make any kind of a formation. That made Djakara shudder, and as the robot fell upon him, the only thing the boy could manage was to block the robot’s initial offense in order to buy him a bit of time. “I’ll do what I can, just to keep this whole satiation from blowing up on me,” he thought to himself, almost certain in his inability to fight the training robot alone.

Initially, it wasn’t too hard to block the robot’s attacks. It seemed like the robot was attempting to gauge Djakara’s level of offense before launching into a strike of its own. Thus, the boy found it easy enough to block the initial half-hearted parries, all the while fighting the sinking feeling that a greater onslaught was but minutes away.

Soon enough it came. The attacks were coming faster and harder, targeted not only for Djakara’s chest, but his shins and legs as well. Knowing no other answer, the boy kept doing his best to block this newer onslaught, though he now had to move his legs and dart about just to manage to stay on an even keel with the robot. “Come on… come on…” he thought desperately. Every other thought and emotion that had been playing havoc on Djakara’s mind and soul was now eliminated from his body. They had all evaporated in the gravity of this moment, dissipating off the boy’s body like white hot heat. Djakara’s focus was increasingly becoming singular, and he dug down deep inside him to find everything he had to survive.

Without any explanation, Djakara was completely surprised to find his mind focusing only on the thoughts of electricity. As he worked to fight off the robot, his mind increasingly became consumed with the electrons that hovered around every atom and their latent offensive power. Thoughts of magic should have been the kind of foolish wishful thinking that was ignored in the heat of battle like this, no one in the Republic had ever used magic, though there had been myths long ago that the Faraiaerans elven ancestors possessed the ability to create magic from the spoken word.

However, before Djakara could heave even made sense of these electric thoughts, a sweeping attack by the robot had targeted the boy’s ankle and knocked him on to the ground. Djakara had fallen, and in the fear of falling, his spear-scythe had been knocked out from his hands. The boy cringed, knowing that he could do little more than hold up his hands as the robot brought its rod back for another blow.

A few seconds from immeasurable pain, Djakara’s tongue stumbled through his throught. Weak voiced and desperately, he managed a few quick notes. He didn’t know if the song would be useful, but for some inexplicable reason, Djakara felt as if the legends of the elves were his only hope. Nothing happened. The air around him remained tense, and the robot was now seconds away from landing a fierce blow on his torso. Djakara sang again, to no avail. He winced and held up his hands, desperately believing that somehow, from somewhere, there would be some electric magic that could save him.

With less than a second to live, the air around Djakara cackled in bright yellow sparks. His eyes and face shielded, by the time that the boy had the courage to look at them, the robot had shorted out, with its rod hovering less than an inch above the desperate boy’s sternum. Not knowing what else to do, Djakara screamed in shock. His eyes were wide open, and he looked at Leon as if he wanted some explanation from the feline. Before he could have been offered any, the tinny voice of the officer sounded again over the loudspeaker.

“That will be sufficient for now, please go back to your room,” it demanded.

Djakara nodded, picked himself up and looked at Leon. “I- I don’t know what happened,” he said.

[Artifex Felicis]

While Leon's back was turned Djakara had fought against the golem, holding off the metal construct with more skill than the boy had thought. Though, his golem appeared to be stronger and faster than the two hunks of metal at Leon's feet. It was a test, the cat boy must have simply attacked just quickly enough to bypass the golem's ability to learn and improve to defeat it without a huge amount of problem. It was a comforting though, given how quickly the golem was beginning to attack his fellow fighter.

He dropped his yarn ball, the soft ball of string rolling on the floor and unraveling quickly enough. The yarn didn't have so much as a moment to move under the cat boy's magic, as a bright burst of light from Jak seemed to flash into existence. The cat boy hissed in surprise, using his magic to roll the yarn back into the ball in an instant. He blinked quickly, waving an arm around to ward off anything that might have attacked. He blinked, sight returning quickly to the boy, as well as a strange smell. Almost like something was burned, though exactly what the cat boy couldn't guess.

Spots danced in front of his eyes, though his ears still worked fine. The smell came after a loud cracking sound, like soft thunder or a whip. No matter what it was, it couldn't have been anything the cat boy expected. He slowly took a couple steps towards the golem still upright, a soft hissing that sounded like cooling metal escaping it. His eyes met Jak's for a moment, and a smirk tugged on his face. He opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by the metallic voice of the officer. It was a simple command, though it was also comforting to know at least they would be fine for a bit.

He bent down, picking up Jak's strange weapon, handing it to him with the same smirk that remained on his face. Leon, for all intents and purposes, would be in the same boat as Jak soon enough. There was something about fighting, and the sheer rush it gave to the cat boy, that it nearly always put him into a good mood. It was escapism, but it wasn't like Leon had much he could do about it. He eyed the room, somewhat hesitant about the golems he had defeated. On his home time golems often went down with far more effort and injuries. Something about beating them with only a sore tail was almost anti-climatic.

"Let's just get back," He said, gesturing by tilting his head. He paused, not moving, picking up his tail and holding the battered and bruised appendage with the care of a mother. It was beginning to ache from being dragged on the floor, though it wasn't much better in his hands. He hoped there would be some sort of bandages or first aid he could use. He only got a couple steps before a thought jogged across his mind. He turned, facing the kid, realizing just what may have happened. "You just sang something or other, right?"

[Djakara]

Djakara didn’t respond quickly. He was a bit nervous, but otherwise awed by the power he now possessed. However, it had happened so inexplicably, without so much as a warning, that the boy felt as if it was something that he needed to welcome as well as be afraid of. More than anything else, he wanted to use this electric magic, whether it came from song or not, to help him escape from the Republic. The fact that his magic had already been revealed to the officer was a bad sign, and it meant that Djakara now was going to have to work quickly, whether he wanted to or not.

“Yeah… I’m not sure why that happened though. There are legends about my people, that all the women of our population came from a different planet known as Raiaera… everyone there had song magic, and I didn’t know what else to do so I tried it,” Djakara began. He looked at Leon vaguely, hoping that some of that would make sense to the feline. If Leon truly was his ancestor, then the boy was concerned that the whole idea of singing elves would seem too far fetched to be possible.

Feeling that the whole thing seemed so overwhelming even to himself, Djakara began to wonder if now was the best time to flee. The extents of his abilities being unknown to his enemies presented a unique opportunity, but the fact that he really had no plan established truly scared him. Everything about getting to the portal had been planned meticulously, Djakara had carried just enough money with him to pay off all the bribes to militias, chosen his routes so as to avoid as many mines as possible, and strategically abandoned his gas mask when he felt it would alienate him from the people of Water’s Edge. However, now if he was going to strike when the opportunity was at his greatest, he was going to have to move quickly.

“They’re watching me now, and they were probably watching me back in the cage…” Djakara thought. He had been too concerned with other thoughts to look for a camera then, but he didn’t doubt the presence of one. For all he knew, the Republic could read his thoughts. The longer he stayed, the more the Republic would know about these newfound powers, and the more and more likely they were to use them against him.

The boy took one last exhale, and one last thought before making his decision. He began to realize the Republic’s plan. First they had wanted to run tests on him and Leon for the effects of the portal, even though they hadn’t gone through, later, when they offered a test, they had offered a battle. Initially, Djakara had thought they may have been testing motor skills, but now everything seemed a whole lot more clear. They could care less about the effects of the portal. The Republic wanted to turn Leon and Djakara into soldiers.

“We’ve gotta leave…” Djakara said, grabbing at Leon’s soldier. For a brief moment, Djakara hesitated. The last time he had acted rashly, he had killed someone. The boy didn’t know if he could take that risk again, especially when he was so uneasy about what he had already done. However, there was no turning back now. He’d already spoken.

With his hands buzzing with electricity again, Djakara shot a powerful bolt straight at the floor, revealing an abandoned room below. It was full of dust and files, and seemed to be a library that had fallen into disuse lately. There were computer terminals, and if they were operative, Djakara figured he could use them to better figure out where he was in the building.

“Couldn’t be luckier!” he thought to himself. Then, without even being sure if Leon would follow, the boy jumped down about fifteen feet, hoping that landing on a chair would break the impact of his fall.

[Artifex Felicis]

Leon was impressed at the kid before him, especially for the way he was handling himself. There wa sonce or twice where he had seen someone first use magic as destructive as Jak's. Often they immediately recoiled, frightened like some dark nightmare crawled its way into daylight. His respect for the boy rose, at the very least he didn't take the most foolish route possible.

"The song mages, I know them" Leon said, somewhat half-hearted. It was more of a bitter experience than anything else. He had an alright voice for song, though the precise notes that were required by the elven magic were lost to the cat boy. When he did try, his fireball never came, nor any other magical effect. "Talk to me when we get back, I'll bring you to Raieara. I think you'd get a kick out of Istien University."

He started for the door, his mind beginning to focus on other things beyond Althanas. Before he even got beyond the second step, he felt Djakara's arm clutch and hold his shoulder. The boy spun around gracefully, exaggerating the pull of the kid. He steadied himself, looking at the younger boy with some surprise in his eyes. He opened his mouth to ask him what he wanted, but Jak's voice interrupted him. Leon was now truly amazed at the boy's words, mostly due to their current situation. The fifth floor of the building provided a rather large drop, one Leon didn't want to experience in the slightest.

Djakara moved aside for a moment, summoning up the same magic that he had used minutes earlier against the still frying golem. The boy had enough sense this time to cover his eyes at least, though he could still see the light in the cracks above and below his forearm. There was a cracking sound, and when the boy looked there was a hole to the lower floor in front of Jak. He jumped down, and the sound of the chair that broke his fall echoed up to the cat boy above.

Leon stood dumbstruck for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. He bit his lip, suddenly lost as to what was happening. On one hand there was Jak, the person who he had first met and also seemed to be a good kid. On the other hand, seemed to hold the power at the moment. His gut feeling told him to go with the prisoner below him, but he still hesitated. He walked over, circling the hole as he tried to figure out just what he had to do. Whatever buzz from fighting was gone now.

The choice was made the moment the metallic voice of the officer came through. The cat boy didn't pay attention to it, but there was a quick whirring sound that came from behind him. Both of the golems he had defeated moments earlier were beginning to rise from their rested spots. Or at least one of them was. The other was struggling to get up, like a turtle flipped onto its back. Another swear escapes him, though it was so garbled in his thoughts it seemed almost alien even to his own ears.

The boy quickly leapt down the thin hole, legs bracing and absorbing the impact with a smart pain. He winced, standing back up and taking a couple tentative steps. There were strange columns all around the boy, though everything in the library was dusty. The strange columns seemed to be the most prominent part of the room, as there was a rough path among minor debris towards a closed door. The shelves with books, probably records of some sort, were all in disarray, leaving little to be quickly scanned and found. Leon turned towards the boy, making his way to the door. He put his ear to it, quickly checking the hallway for any sound. It was silent, though not for long.

"Jak, please tell me you have an idea to get both of us out of here in one piece," Leon said aloud, looking back at him. "Or at least it was an accident and we're going back to that crappy cell."

[Djakara]

As sirens began to go off in the building, Djakara figured that it would be best to lie to Leon. “Yes… I have a plan,” he insisted. “Now can you read?” Immediately after landing, Djakara began to thumb through a set of files that had been labeled blue prints, desperately tearing through to see if he couldn’t find something about the layout of the building. He began to see weapons systems, tanks, medical equipment, but nothing of buildings amongst the schematics.

Frantically, the boy began to panic. “Look for some kind of map,” he insisted. Soon, there would be someone- or something- coming though the ceiling to capture him and Leon. Djakara didn’t doubt that the Republic Army was planning for him to try the same stunt a second time. By now, there were certainly guards on the floor below, and probably guards working right now to break in to this room where they were now.

Quickly, Djakara looked over to the door. It was metal, but somewhat rusty, as if the room hadn’t been used in a while. Fortunately, the door seemed to be one of the most secure in the building. Not only were magnetic locks in place, but Djakara noted that there were more than thirteen different deadbolts on it. Even if someone were to cut the power, Djakara knew that he still would have a bit of time.

However, the boy didn’t just need time. He needed some kind of a plan, some kind of a way through the trouble he was in. As Djakara scanned the room, he looked at all the possibilities. “Perhaps if we went back up we could move around more rapidly, some kind of bait and switch…” he mused before realizing that cameras would deter that plan even before it started.

Finding the blue prints useless, Djakara considered a vent to his upper left. It would make for a narrow passageway, but it would lead to the ground quicker than anything else. Djakara figured the moment he could find one of the main veins, it would lead him either to a window or a chute. Given his lack of other options, that seemed quite preferable. The only question was how long of a fall it would be. Djakara’s people were of a hardy stock and could survive long jumps, but the boy didn’t know much about Leon. Was it the feline or the elven ancestry that gave him his athleticism? At a time like this, Djakara couldn’t remember.

Regardless, of his concerns for Leon’s safety, Djakara knew he was going to have to act quickly. With a small bolt, Djakara blew open the vent gate and gestured that Leon go through. The magnetic locks on the door had already been eliminated and there was a whizzing sound of bolts being cut. Djakara supposed that the fact they had become so rusty had made them difficult to open.

“Quick through there,” Djakara said. Testing the limits of his abilities with electricity, the boy created a screen over the hole in the ceiling that he had fallen through, just so no one could follow the exact way that he came. “I’ll try to find a map that gets us through.”

Unsure of which files to grab, Djakara grabbed one labeled Water’s Edge Plans. It was the only one in reach that vaguely looked like it might have the information needed. Whatever it contained, it would have to suffice, it would be any minute before the soldiers made their way into the room.

[Artifex Felicis]

Leon kept near the door as his fellow escaping prisoner began to look through the various things piled in the room. It only took a few moments before the soft, then heavy, sounds of men rushing towards them came into hearing. He followed Jak's plan, ignoring the door and the muffled voices of frustration beyond it. They sounded angrier than he had thought they would, and that sent a small shiver down his spine.

"Fine fine, and I can, but not terribly well" the cat boy replied. He moved quickly over towards Jak, picking up a random pile and sifting through them. HE focused his eyes, trying to make sense of the strange writing on the papers. Many of the words he did not recognize, and the ones with picture often were of weaponry, geography or people. He gave up after the first stack, especially as the words seemed to get smaller and smaller. Strangely is was an inverse relationship with he amount of noise that came from behind the door that separated the solders from the two prisoners.

He looked at Jak expectantly, considering to turn him in and simply go along with the Republics plans. The thought was swept from his mind almost as quickly as it came, especially as he saw what the pale kid was doing. He walked over, a small smile on his lips as he did so. The vent was something they had in a few of the larger buildings in Corone, mostly leading to lower levels. Thankfully this was built with generally the same size. Small, but more than large enough to go through on all fours or crouched. He looked behind him, making sure that Jak would follow. He didn't have much he would be able to do without him. Especially since he didn't even know where the dirty portal was. He detested the thought of breathing that air again, but Althanas was far more preferable than this trash heap of a world.

He stepped in, bending his body into nearly ball shaped to fit into the vent that was only about half of his height. The metal was cool under his feet, and somewhat slippery as well. He extended a claw out of curiosity, tapping the metal. The soft sound was almost calmly to his ears. He moved down the vent as quickly as he could, nearly tripping twice as he came across slight bumps in the metal. It went for a sort while, making some sharp turns along the way, as well as one or two small drops. Leon kept going forward, not bothering to soften his paws as the hit the metal, nor slow down for Jak. There was only a single way so far into the vents, and there was no real way to go down a different way.

A mischievous smile came to the boy's face as he stopped, extending the claws on his hand again. He rubbed the emtal on the floor, making sure it was still of the same material. He braced himself after making sure, then brought his arm down, claws passing through the steel with some effort. He grimaced, dragging the claw back and to the side in a swift motion. He pulled his paw back, rubbing the slight pain from cutting the steel. Not that it mattered now, he did what he wanted. He slammed his foot down several times, making a large enough opening for a reasonably sized person to get through. He looked down into the hole, coming into a bare room. There were several beds, often with one stacked on top of the other. He smiled, stepping over the hole and waiting a moment. He needed to wait for Jak. There was a gut feeling in him that they needed each other for now. At least until they were safe on Althanas.

[Djakara]

Djakara had climbed up into the hole right at the moment that the Republic soldiers had broken through the door. “STOP!” someone screamed at him, but the boy paid absolutely no attention. With a file held in his mouth, he leapt up into the shaft and began moving through it quickly on all fours.

The boy’s thoughts were panicked and the moment that his hands touched the metal, he realized an earlier unrealized wrinkle in his plan. The steel would conduct electricity, so that meant that as long as he was in the shaft, Djakara wouldn’t be able to harness any of his newfound powers. He suddenly felt weak, and fought against thoughts that told him that the actions he had taken so far were reckless and immature.

Trying to drown out the cries of soldiers calling him to stop, Djakara looked at Leon’s hole gratefully. By the time that he’d reached it, the first gun barrel was just within sight. “Jump,” the boy barked as he spit the plans out to the floor. He didn’t waste a moment’s time. This room was particularly more fortuitous. It was dusty and abandoned, but undoubtedly was used as a hospital sometime in the past. The boy landed quickly on a stacked bed, and then in his lack of balance fell to the floor. The papers in his file scattered all over the floor, and right after he managed to pick himself up, Djakara called out urgently to Leon.

“Come on! Come on!” the boy cried. He could hear the sound of a rifle cocking. If Leon didn’t move quickly then the feline would be shot. “And I’d be responsible!” Djakara realized, thinking of himself with reproach. When he’d originally acted rashly, the boy had only considered getting others killed- now he didn’t want Leon to die. In as much as Djakara had a friend in either this timeline or any other, he had Leon.

In all the tension, Djakara couldn’t as much glance at either the windows, the door or his scattered papers. He was waiting with baited breath for Leon to join him. Until the cat boy was with him, Djakara knew that he wouldn’t be able to use his electric powers to bar any of the soldiers from coming after him through the vent. Up until that point, he was vulnerable.

A few beads of sweat fell off Djakara’s forehead. They were plump and juicy, one of them made an audible splash as it landed on the top of a piece of paper labeled “PLAN ALTHANAS: The Republic today and into the future.”

On the very first line of the article was the name Berrian Fraye, Djakara’s father who had died nearly a decade ago.