"Run! We mussst flee!" she yelled, grabbing Wrack by the shoulder with a jerk.
Looking at her eyes, he could see no anger, but worry.. Worry for his safety.
They ran north, heading towards the gates.. But two streets along, the cloaked insect before him darted into an alley way on the right, between two buildings.
Just as he turned into the alleyway, Wrack peered back from where they came, and saw the small group of thugs running to catch up.
Stopping quickly a few yards in, she closed her eyes and spoke..
"zoriadimm.. halasss.."
The air flickered like a sheet of transparent silk, then began to slide apart, bending the light and tearing a hole to another city. But.. The city was different from the streets surrounding him.
"Go!" she shoved him through, and turned back to face the mouth of the alley.
Stumbling, Wrack fell through and landed on the dirt street of a darker town. Regaining his balance, he looked north to see a large tower of countless stories in the distance, and turned to see squat buildings and shops surrounding him.
Landing through the rift beside him, the insect landed beside Wrack.. and the ripples of air behind her sealed as if they never exited.
She turned to him, inspecting him and whispered the words, "candusima".. a wave of cold ran through is body, and his worked muscles felt as if he had just awoken from a good rest.
The black blood upon her copper face was drying as she stepped past him, and whispered to a door between the two nearby buildings that he hadn't noticed.
She opened the door slowly.. Holding it open and turning to look at Wrack..
"My name is Sssliver.. Please come inside.." she said as he walked towards the doorway, "I would very much like to ssspeak with you about your father.."
As he stepped into the darkness beyond the door, his flesh felt as if it was being pulled by a thousand hands into the shadows..
Interview with a Thri'Kreen - Part 2
Turning his head to trace its source, he saw a large man with an unkempt beard tossing and catching another stone in his hand. A small group of dirty men gathering up around him, daggers and clubs in their belts.
"THERE's the FREAK!" he yelled, pointing his stone at her, readying a throw.
"Go crawl back to the desert with the rest of you bugs and snakes!"
Glancing back at her, she was regaining her composure, bringing up her sleeved arm to her face, black blood dripping slowly down it..
"You don't need to get hurt, kid.. Get outta here."
Getting quickly to his feet, Wrack watched another stone being thrown, and quickly wipped his pack in an arc, catching the stone mid-air and volleying it back at the small mob.. bouncing and rolling harmlessly at their feet.
Laughter filled the air as the mob grinned like wolves and began stepping forward.. Many bending down to grab stones or draw their weapons.
Time slowed, seconds became minutes.. his tongue grew dry..
"Suit yourself.. 'Hero.'" the leader of the mob said as he grew closer..
Drawing a shortsword from his belt and grinning.. Scanning the market, there were no guards in sight.
Wrack began backing up, his leather pack strap clutched tightly in his hands.. He watched as the bearded thug stalked forward, his blade glinting in the sun.
"kharandisss.. elosss," was all that could be heard before a blast of air exploded between the mob and the pair.
Shutting his eyes against the blast, Wrack felt dust swirl about him quickly and the whoosh of air as it blew past him. Opening his eyes a crack, he saw that it was no ordinary wind.. but an elemental of air, and it had slammed into the group of thugs-- knocking them all on their backs.
"THERE's the FREAK!" he yelled, pointing his stone at her, readying a throw.
"Go crawl back to the desert with the rest of you bugs and snakes!"
Glancing back at her, she was regaining her composure, bringing up her sleeved arm to her face, black blood dripping slowly down it..
"You don't need to get hurt, kid.. Get outta here."
Getting quickly to his feet, Wrack watched another stone being thrown, and quickly wipped his pack in an arc, catching the stone mid-air and volleying it back at the small mob.. bouncing and rolling harmlessly at their feet.
Laughter filled the air as the mob grinned like wolves and began stepping forward.. Many bending down to grab stones or draw their weapons.
Time slowed, seconds became minutes.. his tongue grew dry..
"Suit yourself.. 'Hero.'" the leader of the mob said as he grew closer..
Drawing a shortsword from his belt and grinning.. Scanning the market, there were no guards in sight.
Wrack began backing up, his leather pack strap clutched tightly in his hands.. He watched as the bearded thug stalked forward, his blade glinting in the sun.
"kharandisss.. elosss," was all that could be heard before a blast of air exploded between the mob and the pair.
Shutting his eyes against the blast, Wrack felt dust swirl about him quickly and the whoosh of air as it blew past him. Opening his eyes a crack, he saw that it was no ordinary wind.. but an elemental of air, and it had slammed into the group of thugs-- knocking them all on their backs.
Interview with a Thri'Kreen - Part 1
Landing hard on the ground, the wind knocked out of him, Wrack rolled on to his side to survey his surroundings..
His pack emptied onto the busy market streets of New Thalos, his waterskin, some dry rations, and.. his book lay at the feet of a tall figure in a large robe. The collision knocked the figure's hood down to reveal an insect-like face of copper skin with sharp lines, mandables, and eyes of black.
The figure eyed Wrack with fear, and quickly closed its robe, as if ashamed of what he might have seen.. But Wrack only inspected her inquisitively as he gathered his breath.. Leaving the figure standing with its hood down.
"I'm... sorry... I wasn't.. looking where.. I was going," he tried to breathe deeply, slowly returning his breathing to normal.
"The fault isss mine.. young human.." she spoke as she bent down, grasping the book carefully with enrobed forelimbs, her eyes flickered to it with interest, as if she recognized its gilded cover.
Wrack's jaw clenched with worry, his eyes watching his book with the eyes of a mother watching her infant being picked up by a stranger.
"Thisss book.. Who gave it to you?" she questioned, her mandables clicking lightly with some kind of excitement, extending her forelimb and handing it back to him.
"It belonged to my father," he replied, taking the book protectively as he slipped it into his pack, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Yess.. A ssscholar from Candlekeep.." she nodded slowly.
"Candlekeep.. ? No, my father was a farmer in.." the tightness of worry gone, he looked at her confused.
Mandibles still excited, she was about to speak again, then a hand-sized stone struck against her face, knocking her head back with a shriek.
His pack emptied onto the busy market streets of New Thalos, his waterskin, some dry rations, and.. his book lay at the feet of a tall figure in a large robe. The collision knocked the figure's hood down to reveal an insect-like face of copper skin with sharp lines, mandables, and eyes of black.
The figure eyed Wrack with fear, and quickly closed its robe, as if ashamed of what he might have seen.. But Wrack only inspected her inquisitively as he gathered his breath.. Leaving the figure standing with its hood down.
"I'm... sorry... I wasn't.. looking where.. I was going," he tried to breathe deeply, slowly returning his breathing to normal.
"The fault isss mine.. young human.." she spoke as she bent down, grasping the book carefully with enrobed forelimbs, her eyes flickered to it with interest, as if she recognized its gilded cover.
Wrack's jaw clenched with worry, his eyes watching his book with the eyes of a mother watching her infant being picked up by a stranger.
"Thisss book.. Who gave it to you?" she questioned, her mandables clicking lightly with some kind of excitement, extending her forelimb and handing it back to him.
"It belonged to my father," he replied, taking the book protectively as he slipped it into his pack, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Yess.. A ssscholar from Candlekeep.." she nodded slowly.
"Candlekeep.. ? No, my father was a farmer in.." the tightness of worry gone, he looked at her confused.
Mandibles still excited, she was about to speak again, then a hand-sized stone struck against her face, knocking her head back with a shriek.
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