“What do 'ou mean dah ship was stowen!”
[Seaside’s Harbormaster after learning of the theft of one of House Doe’s ships]
When the caught us, I at least thought they might give us the privilege to see the city… but no. The first thing they did was put bags over our heads as we began to march out of the wreaked ship. Since I couldn’t see I had no idea where we were going, maybe the dungeons, or a forced labor camp, or who knows maybe even the gallows. I knew soon I had to try something or we would never leave, so I speak.
“Pwease we am on a mission, wewe not twyin’ to spy o-”"
The fluffy holding me gives me a slap as he speaks.
“Shut up!”
No use… I could now hear the sounds of a busy street with me hearing a vocie from the right.
“Stand back, nu touch dah pwisonews!”
Than I could hear another voice this time coming from ahead of me.
“Am- am that a changewing? I thought dey wewe just a myth!”
Good they haven’t separated us, I’m not alone! Another voice speaks, coming from the back.
“Wook how fat that one am! an’ wook at that one’s scaws!”
Aren’t they the judgmental bunch? At least I know the rest of my unit is here. As we walk I lose track of time, with me only knowing that we walked for a very long time. Than out of nowhere I hear the sounds of a door opening leaving me a little startled. We enter and after a few seconds are sat down and our bags are removed.
The sudden influx of light made my eyes hurt for a second, with me covering my face before getting readjusted and once I do, I see the room I’m in. The first thing I notice is the ceiling, it being a steep triangular shape with it made out of gray stone and a giant chandler. Than starting to look down I see that the gray stone continues, and that the entire building is made of it. For the furniture there were lots of wooden chairs and tables with in the center being a large stone throne like chair and behind it a hallway. Turning my head I could see the rest of my unit, with them also having there bags removed and some also injured with cuts and bruises. Than finally from behind me one of the Bat pony guards speaks.
“Dah house patwiawch wiww decide am fate, pway she has mewcy!”
Is this some sort of courtroom? Who knows it sounds like a house leader is about to meet with us. I hope maybe I could talk to her and explain my situation she’ll understand or something! 30 seconds of silence pass before we start to hear hoofsteps coming from the hall and as the steps started getting louder we started hearing a voice.
“Dis bettah be wowff my time!”
We could now see her, she was a middle aged bat pony with a black coat and a light gray mane, she wore robes I could only describe as elegant, and she looked as us with a scowl and spoke.
“Su these am dah foweignews!? Expwain youwsewf!”
She sits down as Charles speaks.
“Pwease we do not seek hawm, we onwy seawch fo’ someone!”
She speaks.
“I do not bewiebe ou! Ou wewe on a doe ship, am ‘ou spyin’ fo’ that wotten king! SAY IT!”
Dar speaks this time.
“Nu did ‘ou heaw, dah White Towah am gone, dah Doe dynasty am mostwy gone! It’s wast wibin’ membah am said to wibe hewe!”
There is now a bit of shock on her face, and she leans back speaking.
"What!? guawds check dis infowmation at once!
Once of the guards speaks, and we are finally given this fluffies name.
“Yes madame Astwus!”
Astrus looks at us speaking again.
"how did 'ou come of dis infowmation!?
I speak this time with me deciding just to tell the truth.
“We am membews of dah doe Woyaw Guawd, we saw dah towah faww wiff ouw own see-pwaces.”
Me saying this seemed to have dimed the anger a bit in Astrus’s eyes. with her looking at me speaking.
“Ou say ‘ou seawch fo’ someone, who am it.”
I speak.
“Enoch…”
Astrus thinks for a moment and as she does I have no idea what she is going to say, so to try to get her our side, I speak.
“Pwease we must find him! ‘cos if we nu, somebody ewse am goin’ to be put in chawge, Tuwwos Stwongwing. An’ fwom dah stowies I’be heawd he’s deadest on takin’ anythin’ we wants, eben by fowce. Who knows he maybeh eben wan’ to fuwwy contwow dah gweat sea, eben if that comes to destwoyin’ dis pwace to do it.”
Astrus laughs for a few moments before speaking in a stern voice.
"Weawwy!? What that puny city ‘ou wibe in, isn’t goin’ to do much!’
I’m a bit confused hearing this. Puny city, how far behind on information are they? I speak giving some reality.
“Emiwy wouwdn’t say motow am that much of a puny city anymowe madame, if ‘ou wewe wondewin’. we hab two uwbanize aweas, wiff wast yeaw’s census sayin’ that dah cuwwent popuwation am awound 330’000. An’ wiff dah foundin’ of new settwements, am onwy goin’ to continue to gwow wapidwy. May Emiwy ask, what am Nickew state’s popuwation.”
There is now salience as I break the news with me being able to hear a guard across the room speak under his breath with socked tone.
“60,000”
Astrus after a moment of silence speaks.
“That suwe am a high numbah… Dis Enoch when did fwuffy awwibe hewe?”
Charles speaks.
“7 to 8 yeaws ago. He has a dawk bwue coat an’ bwack mane. Fwuffy came hewe wiff his Mummah as a foaw.”
Astrus looks to one of her guards and speaks.
“Go check dah wogs, Astwus has an… idea.”
Astrus turns to us and speaks.
“‘ou make faiw point, su astwus pwoposes twansaction. ‘ou do somethin’ fo’ fwuffy, an’ astwus we hewp am seawch. Weww… Actuawwy ‘ou nu weawwy hab choice, if ‘ou am woyaw guawds, am skiwwed enough to do somethin’ fo’ fwuffy. something, “off dah books” 'ou agwee?”
Ix is the one to speak this time, speaking from behind me.
“Guess we have no other choice, what task must you need done?”
Astrus speaks confused.
“Wait, ama guawd as weww? Astwus assumed that since ‘ou wewe a changewin’ that 'ou wewe dewe sewbant, ow swa-”
Ix speaks angrier than I had ever heard her.
“HOW DARE YOU ASSUME SOMETHING LIKE THAT!”
Several guards laugh at the outburst with Astrus looking bitter, she speaks.
“Enough! ‘ou aww we be escowted by Jup, dah head of my guawd. An’ once 'ou get to dah wocation, do what he says!”
We are all grabbed and I see Astrus begin walking towards the hallway, as we start being escorted out of the building. Once outside I am able to get my first good look at Nickel city. Like the gray stones that were in the building we were in, it seemed most structures were made of it as well. With looks of them having triangular rooves and in-between the buildings there were large alleyways, where I could see what looked like shops and trading stands. But with all of this gray, they city wasn’t devoid of color. On each of the buildings large colorful banners were held from the windows, and most surprisingly I saw lots of Anuian icons. I began to follow the guard as we walked with Bat ponies looking at us with shock and wonder (how does anyone recognize one another in this place, they all look the same!) and now far into the outer parts of the city, we were in the more agricultural side of it, with the place looking pretty with the near setting sun.
Eventually we could see the large concrete structure with a large rusted metal plate on the ground. And near it was several guards and a two wagons, getting there one of the bat ponies speaks. With him being a bit older and wearing heavier armor than the rest.
“Hewwo am Jup, 'ou must be dah conbicts. dis am a simpwe task, do it to eawn am fweedom.”
The Bat pony guards begin to hand us armor and weapons, and I feel a little upset (Why are they giving us this, what do they want us to do!) Dar speaks as we put on the armor.
“If it’s su simpwe why nu 'ou do it!? what’s eben am we doing!”
Jup sighs and speaks.
"it’s a pwetty contwobewsiaw task, dah gwoup that wibes undah hewe hab been causin’ panic fwoughout dah city. An’ dey hab dewe woyawties to house Bwuin su we nu can do anythin’. Su just go an’ scawe them, an’ make them weabe dah city. "
The guards begin removing the metal cover, reveling a sewer underneath. Jup speaks again.
"An since dis am fiwst time hewe, somebody has offewed to come anonymouswy to hewp. His name am Kwistof.
One of the guard ponies approaches us, with his pierced jewelry on his ears being his most prominent feature, and he putting out his hoove, and Ix shaking it. He speaks with a smile.
"It’s gud to meet ‘ou! Wowkin’ wiff a Woyaw Guawd fwom Motow how neat!
I give Kristof a friendly smile as the first of my unit begins to make it down, and Jup speaks to us one last time.
“be cautious these “peopwe” am fweaks, dey caww themsewbes… Vampiwes.” Fin
Thank you for reading my story! It has become aware to me that there is no way I will finish this chapter in 9 parts, so the final will be pushed to 10. And of course constructive criticism is appreciated, and I hope to have number 9 done in a few day’s to a week. May you have a good day!