"Ladies and gentlemen of Auspar," proclaimed the gentleman
ostentatiously, " politicians and painters, servicemen and sculptors,
merchants and machinatiors alike, may all your seedlings find prosperity.
Welcome, for today we pass blessing on the safe return of Her Royal Highness Princess
Elise. Today marks the sixth day of the ritual and as before her sapling will gain
strength from the lives of these brave and loyal souls. Show them your faith
and appreciation." The two prisoners cowered, for in their darkness their
world was pelted with a barrage of offerings. Shins flew past their heads,
clinking on the ground. Silken scraps,
each with golden thread fell around them like the caress of fingertips. The
smell of incense and flowers mixed with the roasted meat; the latter
considered to be miserly, both aromas fell to the floor of the arena with a
springy thud. The crowd cheered and
wildey clapped. The excitement made the
two prisoners equally as sick. "In turn she will gain strength to find her
way home. We pray that this one action
will course through the Datasphere, ever changing, ever flowing, into hope and
celebration. Speaking of such matters the Abbot will be preceding over a Rite
of Ascension later today as House Ethis completes their latest phase of
building. I hope you can all attend."
There was a brief ripple of discontent. House Ethis had
already commemorated one of their buildings last week. It seemed to most,
almost impossible, that they could afford more building work. What was more surprising
was the constant stream of Numenera used in dedication. The more powerful the device, the more
devotion and consequently the rarity went up. The only known sources of such
things were either the Aeon Priests themselves or members of House Narkkonis.
Neither would be giving up any of their artefacts or cyphers for matters they
considered 'trivial'. Unless a deal had been made. That wasn't out of the
question, society in Auspar had its cogs oiled in windowless backrooms . It was
rumoured that Ethis had an entire spire to hold its most valuable artwork,
while the uncountable amount of shins they owned was stored safely in the
Tangent Spire under the watchful eye of one of Ethis' sons and Master of Shins
Christophe. Money could buy your way up to the top in
Auspar, but due to much enforcement by
the Aeon Priests, at least here you couldn't put a price on the Numenera. Not legally anyway.
These concerns mattered little to the prisoners, as a matter
of course. Their imminent departure from this plane of existence was their
entire world, well that and the darkness. Through the crowd cheering and the
band playing something wrapped itself around their ears. It felt cold, slimy. Tendrils
wrapped their way around and into the right ear from what felt like a larger stumpy
tentacle around their necks. The little tentacles wrapped their way around the
ridges of each of the prisoners ears until settling down quite quickly. Its
whispers felt deeper than any words usually spoken, slightly barbed and
serpentine." If you wish to live, supplicate. If you wish to live, you
will find the princess. Remain standing and your blood shall nature the soil
and the promise of her return. Fall to your knees and live." Both
prisoners tried to rid themselves of whatever this thing was, but no matter how
much they tried in their restrained capacity, this thing had no substance,
nothing to dislodge or draw attention to. The sound of the ceremonial sword
staff dragged in the dirt and sawdust, clinking, counting down, on the rivets
and joinery of the synth plates underneath. The crowds excitement intensified.
The two prisoners valued their lives, and they knew there was not another way
out with it still their own. They fell to their knees. "Good." Something thin, metallic and most definitely alive
slithered up the left arm of each of them. It was warm to the touch but its
movements were definitively not natural. It settled back down again on the left
wrist. Small needle tips quickly pierced the skin for a brief moment before it
clicked itself into place, forming a bracelet. "This is our safe guard.
Leave the caldera and you shall perish, betray us and you shall be
punished. We are forever watchful,
forever vigilant, we see and hear all." The cold and the slime dissipated
followed by utter dismay by the crowd.
A young boy, hardly eight or nine, his hair made from fine
copper strands, his fingers segmented, held together by an unseen force
scurried up to the old man. He sighed, nodded and gave the boy a few shins.
"I have just been informed by royal decree, passed by the Visor, that
these people have been granted mercy. Let us hope their actions will cause the
safe return of the Princess. But do not fret my dear ladies and gentleman. These
devoted souls, the seedlings of change are, to the grace of the King, endless.
While the rites are given to the next loyal citizens, and in dedication to the
Princess and her father our King. May I, Legatus Zivans Cianin, present Captain
Zhreig and my Elite Guard, accompanied by the Royal Symphony for your
enjoinment."
The next few moments were a blur, booing and yelling was interspersed
by music and the shouts of enjoyment. The
prisoners were manhandled out of the arena before the audience could throw
something bladed. Regardless if you were royally pardoned or not, refusing to
be the cause of something greater than yourself was seen as traitorous and
sinful. The prisoner's restraints were removed, and so was the cloth sack. The
blindfold too was quickly removed. Their eyes were blinded by the intensity of
the light outside. The guards, in a swift synchronous action, quickly kicked
their boots at the back of the captives spines, sending them off floor eight
and straight to the ground below. Death
by falling is very uncommon in Auspar, the radiation field sees to that; what
would probably try to kill you though would be the smell, and the numerous
little creatures that dwell on the detritus of the world above, including murderers,
thieves and monsters that grow in the dark. A shout was given from high above
and what little was left of the prisoners belongings was dropped on top of them
into the surrounding garbage that had broken their fall. To some, it's
considered to be better off dead, than down in the dark below.
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