34th of Spring, AV 514.
Half a Mile Out From Sunberth.
6th Bell.
Half a Mile Out From Sunberth.
6th Bell.
He had been woken up the sound of urgent and noisy fist pummeling against his home's rickety door, threatening to knock it off its rusty hinges till Nicholas, fairly groggy and disheveled, swung the door open ready to punch whoever had the balls to disturb him at this ungodly bell. "Two slaves have escaped!" The young man announced quickly as he ducked under Nicholas's rather clumsy swing at his jaw. That was enough to wake Nick up.
"What do you know about them!?" He demanded as he had hurried around his apartment, yanking anything useless out from out his backpack and filled it back up "Comb, razors, soap. Don't need any of this shit." He muttered to himself as he tossed it all out "Tent, food, flint and steel. Gonna need that" He added before he had turned back to the young lad as he stood uselessly in the doorframe "Tell me! I need to know everything!" He yelled at him once more, startling the lad into a ramble.
"Well uh, human's ser, man and women I think. Word is they're shaggin' but I don't know nuthin' about that. Just simple labourers that's all."
"Human, figures" He muttered, they wouldn't send Nicholas after anyone or anything worth a lot of money but they would happily send him up to wipe up the shit they make "When did they leave?" He asked urgently, in truth that was the question that mattered the most.
"We found out about half a bell ago, but I hear mutterin's that they left a couple of bells before that, into the forests."
Nicholas cursed under his breath; few slaves were stupid enough to flee through the wilds but anyone who had no-one willing to harbour them had no choice but to flee that way. "Anything else I should know?" He asked as he slung his backpack over his shoulder before sliding his dirty cutlass into its scabbard. "Yeah, they sent someone else out to look for a hunter, the other guys think you might need a hand out there..."
"What?"
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If there was one thing he hated more than being roused from his peaceful sleep in the very early hours of what could barely be considered morning; it was people who made him wait.
The sun was threatening to break through the delicate horizon, it had failed so far but still it managed in casting a spray of glorious colours across the sky, forging a medley of reds, oranges and even blues throughout the flawless sky, the only blemishes came from a few furrowed clouds that clung to the sky, themselves bathing in the warm orange glow of the rising sun. Nicholas had examined the skies meticulously, he couldn't predict the will of Zulrav as much as the next man but for now at least only a gentle breeze rolled over the mercenary and he had yet to spy a cloud in the sky that could threaten to sodden the ground.
"For fuck sake..." He cursed to himself before shaking his head and instead focused on the job on hand, dismissing all thoughts of what he could be enjoy and thought instead of what he stood to earn, the basic maths causing his heavy brow to furrow in response when he realized that this was just another part of his miserable job description. He was not far out of Sunberth, perhaps a half a mile from the city edge, a mile at most, but he stood at the edge of the vast dark forest. It was an unnerving sight truth be told, the almost infinite sight of shadowed, tangled trees filled with strange howls and unsettling cries that had yet to even be illuminated and warmed by the gentle touch of the rising sun. Unfortunately for him, his job took him into this wilderness, not further away from it.
He saw a small outline emerge from the city backdrop but his patience had worn too thin, if that was them then they would have to simply catch up with him. "We've got no time to waste..." He muttered as he stepped into the shadow of the forest canopy, the sun just shattering through the fragile horizon before being obscured amongst the tangle of leaves and trees.
-Nicholas Gates
