FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter Eighteen

Velanis ran as fast as she safely could, using her tail as a counterweight as she bent her torso low to get the most out of her powerful legs. She'd been following the trail of scent for precious minutes, running alongside the stream in an attempt to catch up with Falren. It was obvious to her that they'd captured him, seeing no other reason why those Sergals would be here and he in turn disappear. It was infuriating to think that they'd followed them all the way here, and then had the nerve to attack him.

She'd make sure to repay them in kind for all their actions, and this time there wouldn't be any guards or people to give her trouble for retaliating. First she had to catch them though, an endeavor that hadn't given her any sign of Falren beyond the scent she followed. She growled in frustration, maintaining her pace as best she could. She wasn't certain of how much of a lead they had on her, but it couldn't have been very long. It had still been light out when he'd left, and that light was just now only beginning to fade away.

That in itself would be a problem, but she wouldn't let darkness stop her from trying to catch them. She wondered how long Naleen would take to catch up with her, but she couldn't spare the time to stop and wait. Hopefully she would close the gap before she caught up with her quarry, because if not she wasn't sure if she would be able to restrain herself until she did...

Her legs had started to burn by the time it had dropped into the twilight hours, the effort of running over the uneven and wild ground taking its toll on her muscles. She grit her teeth in a snarl and carried on though, not willing to let that stop her. It was growing dark under the trees, enough so that she was relying on smell to help guide her in her hunt. She could still see some light reflecting off the water to her left, the stream growing a bit wider as she ran alongside it.

Her breathing was labored when the trail threw a surprise at her, the scent she was following dropping off. She slowed to a stop, narrowing her eyes in the dark as she slowly retraced her steps backwards until she found it again. This time she crept along slowly, paying closer attention to the direction of the trail. She found where it had stopped prior, deviating from the relatively straight course it had been holding.

Her rumbling growl returned louder, the reason for the change of directions quite clear. The Sergals she followed had turned into the stream, the thigh-deep running water making it impossible to find their scent on the ground. Her claws dug at the soft earth in frustration. They'd realized she'd be able to follow them through scent it seemed, using the water to prevent her from using her easiest means of tracking. While that was true, it would slow them down wading through the water.

But that meant little when she wasn't sure which direction they'd gone, though she was fairly certain they couldn't have had enough time to double back and take another path. Which meant they must have continued on up the stream, hoping to lose her before they departed the water and continued onward. She realized now that she would need Naleen to help her, for she wouldn't be able to cover both banks herself.

All this because they couldn't have their way? She thought to herself angrily.

She paced on the spot in indecision, not wanting to waste time by missing their trail when it left the stream, but also not wanting to wait and let them get further away. The decision was soon made for her though, the sound of quiet footfalls reaching her from the other side of the stream.

"Velanis?" Came the familiar voice of Naleen calling her name.

"Yes." She grunted in reply.

The water splashed as Naleen crossed over the stream with Falren's horse, stopping beside her.

"I came up the opposite bank, but found no sign of them there." The female stated to her, staring at her with a concerned expression in the gloom. "Do you still have their trail?"

"No." She growled, gesturing a hand shortly at the water. "They waded into the stream."

"Ah... I see." Naleen breathed.

"But now that you're here we can cover both sides and find their trail again." She declared, implying they continue with their chase.

"Velanis, wait..." Naleen said, stopping her. "You may not realize it, but you have run far. You should rest some, yes?"

"And let them get farther away?" She snapped, glaring over at here.

"Youngling, I want to find him just as much as you, but exhausting yourself in the process won't do him or us any good." Naleen said softly.

She almost snapped again, but restrained herself, taking a breath to calm her temper. "I'm sorry."

"It is alright, I understand how you feel." She replied. "But the fact that they have taken all this extra time and effort to capture him means they wish to keep him alive for something. Take some small hope from that."

She let out a snort, glaring up the stream into the growing darkness.

Naleen reached a hand over and laid it reassuringly on her shoulder. "Sit down and rest a moment Velanis, we can keep going afterwards." She stated, smiling slightly.

She grudgingly complied for the time being, sitting down on the soft ground and taking a drink from her water skin, Naleen having made sure to grab their packs. The burn in her legs subsided as she let them rest, but that was a small price to pay if it meant catching Falren sooner. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, calming her mind down.

Naleen's words were right, all she would do was wear out or even injure herself if she ran through the night so recklessly. There was even the chance she may miss their trail again as well, considering she didn't know where they had emerged. That didn't make it easier for her to go slower, but if she kept her pace without knowing how far ahead they were or where their trail was, it wouldn't help him or her. She took another swallow of water, before plugging the cover back into the skin and climbing to her feet.

"Ready to continue onward?" Naleen asked.

She replied by throwing her pack on to her shoulders, setting off down one side of the stream. Naleen wordlessly crossed back to the opposite bank, the two of them setting a steady pace as they searched their respective sides. She'd find Falren, in that she was determined. She refused to let them get away with whatever it was they intended to do with him.

***

When he finally regained consciousness his thoughts were muddled and his eyes blurry, unable to focus either. It took him a few moments to try and remember why, his head starting to throb as his mind slowly awoke. The pain served to help remind him, blinking his eyes open to focus on his surroundings. He was lying on his still bare side, a damp cold pressing against his skin.

He most definitely wasn't at the stream anymore, nothing but gloomy darkness surrounding him. Judging by the stale, musty smell that reached his nose, he doubted he was even outside either. He pulled himself into a sitting position, head spinning as he did so before he eventually became somewhat settled. Bringing his joined arms up to press a hand to the spot that had been hit by the spear, he found both his arms bound together. A sticky wetness greeted his palm, evidence that they'd certainly made sure to knock him out.

He didn't even know how long he'd been out, or where he was, though he had a hunch about the latter part. His thoughts went to Vel and Naleen, but he quickly set that worry aside. He found it very unlikely that the Sergals who'd captured him had managed to get the jump on them as well. He slowly climbed to his shaky feet, blinking his eyes in an attempt that they adjust to the dim dark and to clear the blurriness from his vision.

His throbbing head didn't help much in that regard, but he was eventually able to make out vague shapes in the dark. Some resemblance of light filtered in, perhaps moonlight, and he carefully stepped forwards with hands outstretched until they touched against cool stone. As he felt along the barrier, he concluded that it was far to smooth and uniform to be natural, making him conclude that his hunch was probably correct.

If it was, then he was most likely inside one of the various constructions that dotted Rain Wood's depths. Nearly all of them were simply ruins now, forgotten attempts to tame the forest only to have it slowly reclaim what was its own. And, assuming his captors hadn't ferried him far from his original course, he may have an idea of where they'd taken him. Not that it particularly helped him any right now, other than telling him he was locked in a room of stone, as if that wasn't apparent.

His rudimentary exploration over, he did a check to see how much his captors had relieved him of. Obviously his sword and dagger were gone from his belt, the holds left barren. He moved down to his boot, hoping that perhaps they'd overlooked searching that crevice. His hope was let down though, his knife gone from the neck of his boot. They'd probably remembered it was there from when he'd drawn it on them in Amara and he cursed himself for that mistake.

But... it wasn't as if he could have predicted they'd go through the effort of following them all the way from the capital. That left him unarmed and bound, unsure of whether or not his companions would be able to track him down. He didn't doubt they would be trying, but right then he was on his own and would have to find his own way out. The first obvious thing was to get his wrists untied, and to that end he started experimenting with his bonds.

They were tight and left little play in the material, almost to the point it cut the circulation off in his hands. In the near darkness he couldn't even see how they were tied, making it a difficult task to try and get them loosened. Even if he could do that in a reasonable time though, he'd still have his cell and so-far unseen captors to deal with. His room was likely locked from the outside in some way, and he knew that the ones responsible were armed to some degree.

All in all that left him with little favorable choices, one being he try and escape the next time the door to his cell was open. The other he simply wait and see if his companions reached him, but neither of those decisions seemed like the best. Sure, if only one of the Sergals opened his cell he may be able to overpower them, but without arms or armor that could go bad quickly. He didn't like inaction though, as he didn't know what was in store for him. Still, it didn't appear he was going anywhere at the moment, so for now it looked like he would need to wait regardless.

He stepped over to one of the walls, propping his back against it as he lowered himself down to sit on the floor. He rested his head up against the cool stone, the throb in his head having subsided a bit at least. He had no idea what their plan was and why they would go through all the trouble, but he supposed he'd find out soon enough. Hopefully he found a way to free himself or his companions tracked him down before then, as he imagined whatever they had in store wasn't going to be pleasant...

***

Silver moonlight filtered down through the branches above to cast an eerie sort of glow on the ground below, reflecting off the water that she trailed next to. It was dark under the trees, but her eyes were able to see better in the dark than other races. Velanis walked the opposite bank, pale light shining on her as she passed under the branches. She walked her own side, keeping a keen eye and nose out for Falren's trail.

They hadn't picked it up as the night wore on, and that had her concerned. They had to leave the water some time; it was only a temporary dodge that would end up slowing them down if they stayed in it. Not to mention they'd have to stop and rest at some point, especially if they had to carry Falren. She didn't doubt that he was unconscious, that being the only way she imagined he'd let them take him captive. If he were in a position to fight back, she knew he would have.

She considered for a moment that they may have missed their trail, but she found that unlikely. Both she and Velanis were keeping focused for any sign of their passing, and neither of them had come across anything so far. The males had to have chosen some point ahead to deviate; it was just a matter of how far ahead they were.

Naleen cast a glance over at Velanis, the female determinedly forging ahead. She wanted to get her mate back, and Naleen wished to find him as well, but they had to rest at some point. They could continue on for the rest of the night, but if they weren't able to catch up by the next day they would need at least some sleep. She had her own experience with tracking, and sometimes it could go on for days depending on what you were trailing. If she let Velanis go on without sleeping it would be worse than if they'd simply taken a few hours to rest.

Still... all this begged the question of why these males had followed them all this way, and then taken Falren captive. Could they really have held on to a grudge to such an extent as to warrant this? Perhaps. She'd known others to take a slight very personally, regardless of whether or not they brought it on themselves. But still, what was their plan when they surely knew she and Velanis would follow them...

She took a breath, gripping Falren's horse's reins as she led it along behind her. Whatever their reasons were, they didn't matter. They'd chosen to hold on to their grudge with them rather than letting it go, and this time she wouldn't be letting them off lightly. She grit her teeth together slightly. And if they'd harmed Falren, she'd make sure none of them saw another day.

The horse behind her gave a snort, tugging at the reins in her hand slightly. She turned her head to look back at it, lifting a hand to pat its neck gently.

"We'll find him, do not worry." She mumbled reassuringly. It simply flared its nostrils at her and kept walking forwards, seemingly as intent to find him as the rest of them. Naleen shifted her spear's weight in her grip, continuing on.

She wished she had some idea of where these Sergals were heading, but it just seemed like they were heading deeper and deeper into Rain Wood. All that was out here was trees as far as she knew, and while it seemed reasonable to lose them in the forest, that still didn't answer her other questions. She set her jaw, keeping up her pace and her senses sharp. Once they got Falren back, it wouldn't matter if her questions went unanswered or not.

They went on through the deep hours of dark, still not finding their quarry's trail as the night grew old. She felt that the night was almost done, and with that feeling her concern returned. She knew they couldn't have walked the stream for the entire night, but neither she nor Velanis had found any sign of their passing. Naleen slowed to a stop as the forest began to take on the dull gray of early morning, Velanis doing the same when she saw her do so.

"Did you find something?" Velanis called to her, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"No child, I have not..." She replied flatly, gazing forwards.

Velanis crossed the thigh deep water at that, coming to stand near her with ears perked up.

"Why are we stopping then?" She questioned. "We still need to find their trail."

"I know youngling." She replied, meeting her amber gaze. "But we will not find it this way, I think."

"What do you mean?" Vel hissed.

"They have used some trick to hide their trail, though I know not which." She stated. "Scent will not help use find them now."

"Then how are we supposed to find them?" The female snapped, growing frustrated. "We can't just stop."

"I have no intention of doing so Vel." She replied with a smile, Falren's horse giving a snort at their conversation. "But," She turned to the horse. "I think we must rely on a different means of finding him now."

Velanis frowned at that, watching her as she rubbed the middle of the creature's large head. The midnight-hued animal stared at her with dark eyes, shifting on its hooves impatiently.

"What do you think?" She said to it. "Can you help us find Falren?"

It's response, as expected, was to give another snort, butting up against her hand. She smiled at that; a simple horse it may be, but there was a little something more to this animal. She released her grip on its reins, turning to Velanis.

"I do believe he will be able to lead us to Falren." She said to her.

"If that's the only way, then I hope so..." Velanis replied, quirking her ears as the horse started to walk off on its own.

She placed a hand on Vel's shoulder, urging her to follow as the creature made its way away from the stream and into the surrounding trees.

"Come, let us find Falren." She stated to her, both of them walking after the horse.

***

He blinked his eyes open groggily, still sitting with his back up against the stone wall. He'd let himself fall asleep it seemed, and as his eyes adjusted he saw unmistakable slivers of sunlight filtering into the gloom. Falren looked around the room now that it was lighted, his theory about being in a cell proving correct. Four walls of stone greeted him, with one's appearance being broken by a fairly ragged looking door.

He climbed to his feet, the dizziness and throbbing having faded as he stepped over to the door. Placing his tied hands to it he gave a testing shove, finding it to be sturdily shut despite its age and condition. With that being a fruitless endeavor right now he moved over to one of the streams of light, holding his wrists up to get a good look at his bonds. They consisted of thin rope wrapped tightly around his arms a few times, knotted together on one side. Annoyingly they seemed to have placed the knots on the outside, facing away from him so that trying to get at the knots with his teeth would even prove problematic.

He gave a snort, looking around the room. It was bare of everything but the stone that made it, leaving little at his disposal. He grit his teeth irritably, pacing around the borders of his cell slowly. The stone walls of his confines still stood strong despite their age, the small cracks the light shone through only allowing plants to worm their way in. Trying to move the thick blocks of stone wasn't likely anyway, even if they were loose; not that he particularly wanted to go upsetting the balance in a construction as old as this one...

Falren kicked around at some of the loose debris and crumbled rock that littered the floor, none of which sharp or jagged enough to be able to cut through his ropes in anywhere close to a reasonable time. With nothing to be done, he took a seat in one of the thin streams of light and started fiddling with his bonds, attempting to loosen them.

While he attempted that, he wondered what might be in store for him. Given that they'd made sure to capture him and keep him alive, torture didn't seem an unreasonable guess at this point. They had been humiliated by not only him, but Vel and Naleen after all, so that certainly seemed to be their motivation for going through all this. Then there was always the possibility that they were doing it because of his amulet, having seemed to recognize it enough for a spark of some kind of fear to surface in them.

Perhaps they had come from Nel'Vrak and knew the emblem was from clan Blood Fang. It wasn't beyond reason that they may have had a grudge with that clan as well, and on top of their previous run ins with him and Vel they wanted to get back at him. Another silly mistake showing them that. He scoffed to himself. He wished he'd finished what he'd started in Amara, but at the time he hadn't wanted to risk getting in trouble with the guard and spending time in a cell.

Looks like I'm spending time in a cell regardless. He thought bitterly.

He let his arms fall into his lap, fooling around with the ropes a useless task at how tight and snug they were. Falren let his head rest back against the cool stone, waiting to see what happened now. Hopefully Vel and Naleen were doing better than he was at the moment...

His wait wasn't a long one, the sound of wood scraping on wood coming from the door. He climbed to his feet, hands clenching as he watched the door intently. Its opening was accompanied by heavy wood thudding against stone, old hinges creaking as it was pulled open. The sight of the lead Sergal greeted him, a lower light shining in through the door. Falren clearly recognized him as the same male because of the three recent-looking scars that went across the top of his snout, remnants from his encounter with Vel.

He was dressed in simple armor, a short sword buckled at his waist as he stepped into the doorway. Falren stared calmly across as he closed the door behind him, the male glaring at him as he entered the room completely.

"Not so smug now, are you?" He sneered at him.

"That tends to happen when one is tied up." Falren replied flatly, watching the Sergal as he stepped closer.

"I see you still have a smug mouth though." The male growled at him.

"And I see your face has healed nicely." He responded in kind.

The Sergal abruptly lashed out with his hand, connecting a blow to his jaw that made him stagger sidewise. There was a dull throb in his jaw when he regained his footing and turned back to the Sergal, giving him the same calm stare as he flexed his hands against the bonds.

"So is this your plan then?" He declared. "Lock me up in some ruined fortress' cell and take blows at me?"

His only reply was to lash him across the jaw again, this time making sure to trip him and knock him onto the stone floor. He gave a grunt from the impact, but recovered quickly enough to pull himself to a sitting position.

"You have that part right." The male sneered down to him. "And I'll make sure to savor every moment."

With that the Sergal turned and made for the door, leaving him sitting on the floor with a slightly sore jaw.

"My companions will come looking for me you know." He called to him before he could exit.

"Oh yes, I'm sure the bitch of yours will. But I predict they'll have a longer time of it than you think, and I hope they find you when we're done." He snapped back at him. "Or maybe I'll wait for her to come so I can see how much it takes for that pride of hers to break."

The leader ducked out of the door with that statement, closing it behind him with a thud and the sound of wood scrapping as he barred the door again. Falren waited a few minutes before standing to his feet, rubbing a hand over the side of his jaw that had been struck. It wasn't much of a beating, but no doubt that was just the start of what they had planned.

It had answered a few of his questions though, like the motive for them capturing him. More importantly though, it told him that the Sergal was quick to anger and door to his cell wasn't barred again while he was in here, meaning there likely wasn't another of the group guarding it. A bit of useful information to have, already forming the beginnings of a plan in his mind.

That last bit had him a little worried though, about how they'd take longer than he'd thought to find him. He hoped they weren't in any trouble of their own, not wanting Vel or Naleen to get hurt because of his carelessness. There wasn't anything he could do to change that now though, but he had his own plans of fixing his current situation. It had its risks of course, but no more so than just sitting in the cell and letting his captors do what they would. And he was damned sure that he wasn't going to just wait and hope for his companions to do all the work to get him out of this.

He propped himself up against the wall, returning to fiddling with his rope bonds once more. He wouldn't be waiting long to act, and while he was sure he could handle at least one part of his plan with the bonds still on, he'd rather have them off first if he could. Even if he couldn't, if his plan worked they'd be off soon anyway...

***

She followed behind Falren's horse for agonizing hours, walking through the forest as the early morning brightened the boughs above. Velanis knew the horse was special to him, but she wasn't entirely sure of Naleen's idea. The creature had instantly turned away from the stream's bank, instead forging into the surrounding trees and diagonally backtrack the distance they'd come. She didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, as if the animal truly could lead them to Falren it meant they'd wasted a deal of time.

It was better then walking blindly hoping to find his trail again though, she supposed, but it didn't help relax her nerves any. She gave a growl, brushing aside a low hanging branch as the horse in front of her walked at a quick gait.

Naleen rested a hand on her shoulder reassuringly as she followed beside. "We'll find him, youngling." She said. "Be patient."

She gave a quiet snort; it was hard to be patient when she just wanted to get him back.

"How could they have lost their trail so easily?" She questioned Naleen, glancing over at her as the horse continued with its solely known direction.

"I cannot say for certain child." Naleen replied. "There are many ways they could have done it, primitive and otherwise."

Velanis grit her teeth slightly, staring ahead as the horse led them through the trees. It both annoyed and worried her that they'd so easily been able to dodge them, putting them farther and farther away with her mate. Now she had no idea how long it would take them to catch up, the forest seeming to go on and on as they followed the creature. She could start to feel the toll of walking throughout the previous day and night creeping up on her, but she wasn't about to stop now when they had so much time to make up...

The horse led them determinedly for the next few hours, not wavering in its pace as the day aged into the late afternoon. She still hadn't seen any sign of Falren or his captor's passing, simply relying on the creature to lead them true. It left her both concerned, and wondering where they could possibly be taking him. They must have had a destination in mind, finding it unlikely they were just walking blind through the forest. Then there was the fact that they were carrying Falren, and she was certain that once he was conscious he wouldn't be a compliant captive.

Falren's horse gave an abrupt snort, making her dart her eyes up to find the creature stopped in front of them. She walked up beside it with a narrowed gaze, patting its neck lightly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Its only response was to give another snort and toss its head, nudging at her with its nose. She shifted her gaze ahead, trying to peer through the dark shadows and trees, an effort that proved unrewarding.

"Has he found something?" Naleen questioned, stepping up next to her as she stood motionless.

"I'm not sure..." She muttered in reply. "But, I think we should look ahead. Quietly."

"I see." The female uttered. "Well, let us not waste any time. Come."

With that Naleen slunk forwards, taking a low posture to the ground and stepping softly on her splayed feet. Velanis followed after her in the same manner, and it was in this manner that they crept through the trees and undergrowth to see what had made the horse stop. She could only imagine it meant they were close to Falren, but she wouldn't assume so just yet. There could have been something else ahead that the horse didn't like.

She and Naleen stalked ahead for slow minutes, brushing past the foliage silently as they scouted the area before them. They didn't find anything at first, and she started to think that perhaps the creature had a false alarm. After another handful of minutes though the trees ahead seemed to open up, letting streams of light shine down to the ground below. Both she and Naleen wordlessly slowed down, cautiously creeping towards the break in the trees.

They stopped before they the break, crouching down low behind the cover of the trees and undergrowth as the stared at the view before them. Velanis had to look carefully at what she was seeing, narrowing her eyes at the scene. What lay before them was a mass of ruined and crumbling stone, the forest looking to have been on its slow mission to reclaim the area for some time now.

Though it was crumbling and old she could plainly make it out as a construction similar to Fort Green Watch, some sections of the outer walls still partially standing, defiant against nature. It was large, quite possibly larger than Green Watch, and looked to be multiple floors high. She couldn't fathom why a fort would be in the middle of this forest, but that could be answered later. The more important question she had was why the horse had led them here, and if Falren was somewhere inside that mass of ruined stone. Her instincts told her he was. She made to step out and approach the crumbling walls, but Naleen grabbed her arm before she could leave the cover, making her give a quiet growl.

"Wait youngling." She said. "You must be patient, we do not know what lies inside there."

"What's in there is Falren." She growled back.

"He very well might be, but we cannot rush in blindly." Naleen stated, drawing her back. "We know there are at least three to the group that captured Falren, but there may be more now. They obviously know the layout of this ruin if they came here, but we do not and it is broad daylight, yes?"

Velanis grit her teeth, but relented after a moment. "What do you suggest we do then?" She questioned shortly.

"Take a moment to scout around the place before we go rushing in." Naleen said simply, pointing to the central part of the fort. "I wouldn't doubt there are intact sections of that keep, and if they have Falren in there that is where he will be."

She stared out at the ruined fort, clenching her hands at having to wait now that they were close to finding him. She understood Naleen's caution though, and would follow her advice despite how much she just wished to go in and get Falren back.

"Come." Naleen said, tugging lightly at her arm. "Let us see what we can find from the cover of the trees before we expose ourselves."

She followed the female as she began to creep through the foliage that bordered this ruin, both of them keeping an intent eye on what they saw. She couldn't see anyone from where they were, but the broken walls left plenty of ways in and out, and plenty of places to hide. She spotted what had once been the main gate as they rotated around, the archway having long since crumbled. As they circled, she could say that Naleen was right when she said the interior of the keep might still be intact.

They both came to a stop at one corner of the grounds, looking in from their cover. She couldn't have said it was still all standing though, the corner of the keep here having caved in on itself. It left a dark, jagged wound in the stone, the toppled pieces of moss-covered stone lying strewn over the ground that surrounded it. Naleen stopped and crouched down, looking in appraisingly at the debris dotted area.

"This seems as good a place as any." Naleen stated quietly. "Plenty of cover to sneak in with."

"Let's go then." She declared, shifting to move forwards.

"Not yet Velanis." She said, stopping her yet again.

"Why?" She hissed.

"As I said, we do not know for sure how many potential foes are in there." Naleen told her, keeping her voice soft. "We may not be able to see anyone from here, but if there is even one person watching there's the chance we could be spotted, and then who knows what they would do to Falren. Dusk is not far off now, especially in this forest; let us wait just a little longer."

Velanis snarled to herself as she glared out at the ruin, muscles tensing with the desire to simply go in and get Falren back. Naleen rested a hand on the base of her neck then, making her dart her eyes back to her.

"I wish him back too, but you must trust me on this." She said, eyes soft but adamant. "We've come this far, and they likely don't expect us to be here so soon after how they lost their trail. Don't throw that advantage away now."

She stared back at the fort that held Falren, taking a slow breath.

"Fine, I'll wait." She huffed out. "But once night falls, I am going."

"I know youngling, and I have every intention of going with you." Naleen said with a smile. "But for now let us see if any leave or enter this place..."

***

Naleen crouched between the trees, eyes watching intently from the shadows. The afternoon had steadily aged towards evening as they waited, observing the deserted grounds. She'd spotted movement and glimpsed the shapes of other Sergals amongst the ruins once or twice, but beyond that things were quiet. Velanis was eager to go, she knew, the female's tail twitching against the ground occasionally. She wished to go as well, but she had no way to know for sure where eyes might be hiding amongst the crumbled stone. Better to wait and sneak in quietly then give away their surprise so quickly.

She had to wonder why they had taken Falren here, to this ruined human keep. Perhaps they simply used it for protection and an easy place to hold Falren captive, or maybe they thought it would make it difficult for any that chose to come after them. It was certainly true that it offered up more difficulty than if they had simply camped out in the open, the walls keeping them hidden and making any seeking to enter weary of what was inside.

A flicker of movement made her gaze dart towards a section of the wall, eyes narrowing across the distance at the source. The view of another Sergal greeted her view, wearing what looked like chain and a few pieces of stray plate given the way it slightly glinted in the light. It struck her a bit odd that he looked to be wearing what seemed new armor, from this distance not appearing to have been worn in any way. That was a minor detail for later though, right then more interested in what he was doing. Velanis saw him too no doubt, but she kept her studying gaze on him.

He didn't have a manner of suspicion, so she doubted they had somehow been found out... Naleen almost gave a snort when he made his intentions clear, moving his armor aside to relieve himself. That answers that then. She said to herself, any thoughts that they'd been discovered gone. Instead she watched what he did next, waiting to see where he would go. It was likely he was the same Sergal she had seen earlier as well, meaning he was either put on watch or was stuck out here for some other reason.

Depending on how much stock they put into the trick they used to hide their trail, it could also mean he was the only one out here. Which could make it an easy matter to slip inside, or simply eliminate him entirely. The former may prove more ideal than the latter though, at least at first. If he went missing and anyone came looking for him, it could raise suspicion before its time was due. Either way, that was a choice they could make when the time came which, as she glanced up at the sky, wouldn't be much longer...

***

Falren sat, counting the minutes and hours as they went by. None had "visited" him since the first, and all fiddling with his bonds had done was start to make the skin on his wrists raw. As such, that left him waiting idly until he could act on his plan. He was starting to get a thirst, but he could undoubtedly say they had no intention of giving him food or water. In fact, he quite imagined that after they'd had their fun with him they intended to either kill him off or leave him locked in the cell. Of course, he had no intention of letting them succeed with either of those things.

Time continued to draw on as he waited, making him wonder when his captors would decide to visit him next and what they had in mind. Not because he was worried about them paying another visit, rather because his plan relied on them doing so. He was for all purposes stuck in that cell after all, so his most direct way out needed one of the Sergals to open that door again. Assuming the conditions were the same as last time his plan was simple, in theory anyway. Any number of things could happen, but that was the risk he'd have to take.

It was hard to judge the time of day, the only sign he really had being the thin streams of light that found their way in. Afternoon seemed a likely guess, but it could have easily been later or earlier. He rested his head back, taking to closing his eyes as he waited. There was no reason to get tensed up or try and rush things, as that was an easy way to make mistakes he found. He simply kept his mind clear and focused, biding his time patiently...

A long stretch of time passed, or it seemed that way given the stagnant nature of his stone confines, before the still silence was finally broken. Movement outside his door made him take his head away from the wall, eyes focusing at the barrier. The same sound of a wood bar of some kind being lifted reached him, clunking onto the stone as it was set aside. Falren climbed to his feet before the door could open, darting over to the wall next to the door as quietly as he could.

The door was pulled open on its old hinges, swinging outward as whoever it was stepped over the threshold, failing to notice him tucked against the wall. He recognized the same Sergal, the scar-faced leader who'd confronted Vel. The male looked around the room in that moment, eyes searching for someone who wasn't there. Just as he began to turn to face the corner he was in, Falren stepped forwards and brought his bound hands up, delivering a double-handed uppercut to his jaw.

The male staggered back, struggling to keep his footing as the blow momentarily stunned him. He regained his senses quickly, giving a growl and baring his teeth in a snarl as he glared across the room. Falren stood in anticipation, waiting for the male to, hopefully, act in the way he predicted.

"I was upset you weren't bringing any food or water." He shot in provocation.

The Sergal gave a growl. "I wanted to keep you alive longer, but I guess I'll have to skip to the part where I flay you." He leapt at that, crossing the room in a bound that would have crashed into him.

Falren sidestepped the lunge, avoiding the tackle and kicking at the back of his leg on the way by. The male fell to a knee with a grunt, catching himself with a hand and turning to face him, tensing his legs for another lunge. He lunged, making him dodge away again to avoid a struggle. Wrestling against the Sergal with his hands bound wasn't a wise decision, and he wanted to avoid that if he could.

He was ready to give the male another kick, but for what is was worth he caught on fast. The Sergal held back in the lunge, stopping himself before he over extended and opened himself up to the kick. Instead he leapt at him from the much closer distance, catching him low around the waist. The male wrapped his arms around his torso, pushing off with his legs to knock him back into the wall. He gave a grunt, vision flashing a moment as he was slammed into the stone.

He recovered before the Sergal could lay into him though, bringing his hands down to deliver a few blows to his back while driving his knee up into his stomach. The simple layer of armor his wore may have lessened the blows slightly, but not enough to keep his grip from loosening. The Sergal wasn't ready to let him go quite so easily though, heaving to the side and throwing him across the floor. He'd barely came to a stop before the male was on top of him, pinning him on his back and darting his head down to try and bite at him.

He jerked his head aside, the snapping jaws of the Sergal barely missing his face as he brought his hands up to block him from getting at his throat. If he wasn't able to get at his throat though, he went for the next best thing, closing his jaws over one of the forearms in his way. Falren grit his teeth as the sharp fangs sunk into his arm, the hold effectively making his arms useless with how they were bound. Knowing what the Sergal would do next however, he quickly drove his knee up between his legs.

The male stubbornly held on, but a couple more hard blows to his groin served to loosen his jaws enough for him to free his arm. Falren threw a blow at the side of his head with his now free hands, making the already stunned Sergal fall to the side in a pained daze. He didn't waste any time, rolling to wrap his legs around the male's neck and lock them in place. When he recovered enough to realize what was going on the Sergal started clawing at his legs, though their mistake of leaving him with his mail pants made that futile.

Falren squeezed harder as he thrashed against him, the Sergal attempting to reach back and claw at his exposed torso. His claws weren't able to find much purchase from the position though, only serving to leave him with minor cuts and scratches. He grit his teeth, squeezing his legs tighter as the Sergal choked for breath that wasn't coming in those slow seconds. Eventually he stopped struggling, body falling still as the air in his lungs was finally exhausted.

Falren kept up his grip for a few seconds longer, making sure it was done before he let his legs go and breathed a sigh. He'd managed to work up a cramp in his leg muscles from the struggle, stretching them out before he rolled over and got to his hands and knees. The throb of the various cuts and soon to be bruises came to him, as well as the arm that had been bitten. He gave it a cursory glance to inspect the damage, rows of angry punctures against the skin that slowly seeped blood.

He'd need to take care of it, but now wasn't the time. He crawled over to the still form of the Sergal, taking the sword from his belt and holding the hilt between his knees as he set to work cutting the ropes from his wrists. The edge made short work of his bonds, and with his arms finally free he did a quick search of the male's lifeless body. Beyond the obvious sword there wasn't much of use on him, though something caught his attention around the Sergal's neck.

He pulled at a chain that hung there, slipping an odd medallion from under his armor. It bore a symbol he didn't recognize, but as much as he may have wanted to study it he had no time to sit there. He tucked the necklace into a pocket in his pants, taking the sword and stepping over to the door. No one had come looking for the male yet, but surely one of his companions would when they noticed he was missing.

He eased the door open, keeping a good grip on the sword as he peeked, looking back and forth down the dark corridor. His guess about no one standing watch outside was correct, though even if there had been they would have come in at the racket. Still, there was always the possibility of someone walking through the halls. As it was the hall was empty, and as his eyes adjusted to the gloom he noted various other doors and cells like his.

That served as some proof of where he was, his captors seeming to have thrown him in the small jail his recent residence possessed. A common feature amongst most forts, useful to keep any criminals held in; or drunkard. Right now they didn't hold much of anything, beyond the plants and occasional rodent that had taken over. He ducked out into the corridor, closing the door behind him and barring it before traversing the dark hall, staying close to the wall as he padded his way down it.

He didn't know his way around this particular interior, but human buildings always had some kind of reason to it, so finding his way around shouldn't be too difficult. It was just a matter of how many un-pleasantries would be blocking his path. He made it to the end of the hall, finding a narrow door with a small staircase leading out of the cells. If there had been any kind of door or gate blocking the doorway, it was long gone by now.

The way was clear when he stepped up the stairs, keeping tucked in the shadows as he looked around. If he were lucky enough, perhaps he would be able to slip away before any noticed he was missing. Given the physical nature of his captors though, he doubted he would be able to lose them so easily if they chose to pursue him. If he had some idea of how many foes there were, he would have decided to simply kill them outright and remove the threat permanently.

As it stood he hadn't become conscious soon enough to be able to count, but he thought it safe to assume there were at least three. Well, two now I suppose. He corrected. He still wasn't sure of that number however, but for some reason he doubted those three from Amara had the courage to do this entire endeavor on their own. That feeling was what he would act on for now, rather than assuming there was only two and getting himself into an even bigger mess.

Right now he wasn't in the best condition for a fight though, so his main goal was to make his way out. If he found himself in a position to quickly take down some of his captors along the way, he would, but he wouldn't actively seek out a fight. But... there was one other goal he wanted to achieve. The Sergals had liberated him of the sword his master had given him, and he wanted it back. He wasn't certain where they'd stashed it however, and he didn't want to give them more time to find out he had escaped.

Falren ground his teeth, slipping out of the stairway and creeping his way along the wall as he looked down the corridor, lit sporadically by the occasional stream of sunlight. He'd just have see what happened, as loathe as he was to leave the sword behind. He would search along the way, but if he wasn't able to find it on his way out then there was nothing he could do right now. He crept along, mindful of every slow footfall as he progressed down the off and on dark halls.

There were deep shadows everywhere, and as far as he could tell not many windows. Although in this particular building, or at least the floor he was on, there wouldn't have been large windows anyway, simply narrow cuts to allow some light in. In this case those cuts were either nonexistent, or blocked by clinging plants. Normally he wouldn't have been worried about the gloom, the shadows giving him plenty of places to hide. It played havoc with his sight though, having to look between the light and dark. He had his other senses at least, and he relied on them greatly as he snuck along.

He passed a number of doorways, some with doors still attached, others with even darker rooms beyond. It made him wonder exactly how big this place was he found himself in, as surely he would find the exit at some point. It was still day outside judging by the light filtering in, but he wasn't sure for how much longer. He'd been in that cell for a while, at least since morning he guessed, so that meant there likely wasn't much left to the daylight. He also had to wonder where the rest of his captors were, but if they'd chosen to stay in another part of the keep that just made it easier for him...

He froze as his ears twitched, a faint scrapping sound echoing off the stone walls. He almost could have said it sounded like claws against the stone, but surely they weren't looking for him so soon... He set his jaw, keeping silent as he hugged the wall. It wasn't beyond reason that someone may have gone looking for him, nor was it that someone may have just been walking the halls. If it was the former that meant he was in for a fight, as his scent would be easy to follow, but if it was the latter he might be all right...

Falren continued on cautiously, keeping slow and quiet as he kept his senses alert. He advanced for a few breaths without any further noise reaching him, beginning to think that he was clear for now. The hair standing up on the back of his neck was the only warning he got before there was a sudden burst of movement directly behind him, barely diving forwards as something cut across his shoulder blades. He quickly rolled to the side, the clang of metal on stone ringing forth a heartbeat later from where he had been.

He sprung to his feet, backing away as he faced the new foe in the dim light of the corridor's interior. The Sergal he saw wasn't one he recognized from the group in Amara, or at least he hadn't been present. He was wearing a mix of simple leather and patches of mail, a long, finger's-width blade in his hand. Falren kept a grip on his short sword, keeping it up in guard as the Sergal stared at him with a snarl.

"I don't remember Selk ever saying he'd let you out." The male growled, stepping closer.

"Why don't you go ask him." He said back bluntly.

His response was to throw a swing at him with his sword, making Falren block the longer blade with a cringe at the clang. He wanted to finish this quickly and hopefully avoid attracting more of his captors, if he hadn't already. The Sergal had a farther reach on him, but his sword was heavier and a bit more cumbersome than his. He sidestepped away from another clumsy swing, darting in to take a stab at the male's unguarded side. It only managed to skirt off the leather and mail, forcing him to duck another counter-swing that would have taken his head off.

The male pursued him with aggressive swings, clearly intent to just try and end the fight rather than wait for companions or wear him out. That would work in his favor though, his swings with all their aggressiveness leaving him open. Falren just had to wait for one he could exploit properly...

As the Sergal recovered from a parried swing and tried to bring his sword around, he saw his opening. He stepped around his side, the male turning with him to try and get a swing in. He wasn't quick enough though, Falren aiming a blow at the back of his knee that, while not going through his armor, did unbalance him enough to miss his swing and drop to a knee. That was when he closed the final gap; thrusting his sword forwards and ramming it home in the Sergal's exposed neck.

He gave a startled choke, eyes wide and jaws parted before the life drained from his body and he slipped off the blade, falling to the ground with a clang. Falren didn't waste any time standing around, starting back off down the corridor now that his attacker was taken care of. He was sure now that there were more to the group, and if they didn't know he was free now they would soon. He wasn't keen on getting into a fight with multiple Sergals in his current state, half-dressed and using a basic weapon as he was.

With that in mind he quickened his pace, slipping along the wall as he looked for an exit. The main entrance of the keep was an obvious option, but if he could he'd have liked to find a subtler one then that. He wondered where Vel and Naleen were, but he wasn't so sure they would be able to help or even find him right now. Better to meet them out in the forest in any case, where they wouldn't be restricted by the stone walls or fall into a trap.

First he had to get out first for that, and though he may have picked up his pace he still had to be quiet. They weren't actively looking for him- yet- so it was still possible he could remove or slip by some of his captors, if they could still be considered that. He'd have to shed the sneaking tactic eventually, but for now he still had a bit of an advantage. How long that lasted, Falren supposed he would find out soon enough...