Eryn was now unshackled and left to his own devices . At
first he hadn't noticed, wandering the market freely but slowly. He was
constantly shouting back instructions or points of interest that he, at least,
found interesting. Kalyptein crabs were kept sedated under the chilling fumes
of a spiny grey flowered vine. There were pale gold flickers in-between the metallic
shells. Even with such precautions, the stand was given a wide berth by most. A
gentleman was attempting to sell what looked like pearls of a dark green liquid
metal. These ball bearing sized orbs were subsequently thrown at the surroundings
of the vendor. Bursts of colour followed by a wild and instant growth of vines
and flowers than then shattered, its remains dripping through the floor. Then
there was that smell again, that cinnamon and synth. There were ways people
described it in the Steadfast, each with their own unique language. Here it was
known as the Gate to the Forking Path. Each concoction was slightly varied in
each location, it was presumed some of the ingredients were influenced by some
unseen hand, or tended to in the night by strange figures. Regardless, the
outcome was the same in part, access to the Datasphere on some sensory
level. When brewed in Thaemor the drug would
show the user a grey sphere, the more they concentrated and invested their
thoughts into it, it would change and grow. Adapting and displaying all kinds
of images and colours, lights and textures. No experience could ever be
repeated by sometimes the results could, the sense of pleasure, bliss was hard
not to experience time after time. With each wave slowly closing the world
around you inwards till your focus was lost to the sphere. The Guldspar
administered themselves this drug daily in hopes to somehow shape their images
into something that could connect with the Obsidian Spire yet they still refuse
to reveal their supplier or indeed the very thing they use.
But sometimes down here escaping reality was needed. It
wasn't from the residents, no down here they were content in their four
fashions ago. They had accepted the grime and filth and traded their skills and
not their shins. When a gift was given it not only carried the weight of trade
value, but also shin value and craftsmanship. A gift was a rare thing. An old
woman who had been peddling the Forking Path looked over at Chloe and a tear
was brought to her eye. She caught the start of a nosebleed. A nosebleed that
rose in drips up into the floors above. The old woman, dressed in what looked
like multiple sheets of gathered fabric and mud waddled over with a small
broach. She gave her sincerest apologies to Chloe and told her she should make
amends with her family if she needs to. Chloe moved backwards slowly, only just
noticing her nosebleed. Chloe thanked the woman, confusing her sentiments and
wiped the blood off her face and continued to stroll down the market. Eryn
meanwhile keeping a distance, trying to strike up conversations with the locals
while the girl was distracted with each new stall. A burly gentleman in his mid
forties was trying to attempt to keep Chloe off his metal work. She had become
distracted by some of the necklaces. Eryn joined her in an attempt to calm the shop
keep. Eryn's sullen look, from having to stick with the girl, combined with
Chloe's nose bleed, caused a burst of compassion with the man. He wiped his
hands on his overalls and pulled out a heavy octagonal metal plate. The edges
inscribed in a pattern and language that even she did not speak. This was to be
honest, the only interesting thing about it, in Chloe's opinion and took it on
that basis alone. Eryn tried to repair the damage she had done in her rudeness.
They were both reaching the edge of the market when Chloe
had finally gotten fed up of carrying the metal plate around. She approached a man who looked like he was
selling some kinds of reflective surface and this plate should do nicely. He disagreed,
and refused on grounds of respect and reverence that he could not take it. He
gave his apologies to her and told her to make amends with her past. This was
the third person in this town that had told her that and this made her angry.
Not a single person would answer her question as to why they were like this
towards her but everyone was sorry. She threw the plate down onto the floor, or
at least let the weight of it drop from her hand. She was about to leap on the
man in her frustration when Eryn calmly moved her aside and greeted the shop
keep and apologised to him as well. The shop keep pointed the family crest that
Chloe had decided to plate onto the metal surface on a whim and told him that
they both needed to go see the Gulspar monks. Again, this was not an answer and
in restrained anger Chloe picked up the plate, put it under a cloth on the
merchants table and left it there. Eryn was fed up of this. It had been mere
hours since they were chucked out from their own execution on a promise they
could never keep. They were walking dead, with the axe waiting for information
of their failure.
A cold slimly tentacle curled around his ear. He shuddered,
perhaps even this own thoughts would betray him. You can't leave this city till you have found her! The words licked
inside his ear, he swallowed uncomfortably. No sooner had it come, the thing, whatever it
was, had gone. Chloe had run back towards
Eryn screaming. She too had felt something and heard the same voice. It didn't
feel right to stay in the market. They needed to get somewhere quiet. They walked
down alley after alley until they came to a plaza with a shop being looted.
However this didn't seem a crime of opportunity. There were carts and synth
plates that hovered in the air a few feet from the ground. Guards were at every street entrance and two Seskii were play-fighting with each other, bearing
teeth and shedding scales as claws were swiped. Eryn recognised something about
this that was familiar. Was it the dress of them, the language? Chloe in her
vibrantly untactful way approached one of the guards. Eryn then remembered; it
was emblem of the Silver Palm on the crates coming out of the shop. He looked
over at Chloe and for a split second he considered running.
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