Prologus 1

Imprisonment 






        Cha'lianta.

        A fantastical and enormous continent the likes of which you have never seen, populated by many, many peoples: Humans, Elves, Trolls, Dwarves, Orcs, Dragons, Avians, Merfolk, Vampires, and many more yet to be discovered beyond the confines of the continent and into the wide, wide, wide world beyond. After countless eons, the races have found a way to finally co-exist in symbiosis. War was a thing of the past, trade is king.

        ... at least that's the dream many hold onto. Tensions are rising between the races once again, alliances are being formed between factions, and corruption runs absolute throughout the land. These are the logs of the times leading up to full-scale conflict.....and the return of a ancient evil long forgotten.

        And it all began with an enigma...



        "Get up!"

        The covered wagon bumped when it intentionally hit a pothole, making the people inside bounce up. This was on purpose so it would wake everyone inside up. The clattering of chains could be heard as everyone hit the wooden floor. Everyone groaned in pain, with some rubbing their sore spots.

        A pair of white cat ears poked out of the dog pile. The owner, a gorgeous young girl with pale white hair like the moon that stretched down all the way to her ankles, and a fresh pair of claw marks over her left eye, climbed her way out of the pile with grunts and groans as pushed and kicked her way out. "Ugh... get off me." She grumbled. She wore the same grey jumpsuit everyone else was. Her's was a bit too big for her liking. 

        Fully out of the pile, she sat on top of them and rubbed her bottom. "That was unpleasant!" She yelled to the driver.

        "Shut up, prisoner!"

        She puffed out her cheeks and mumbled incoherently as she wrapped her unchained arms around her legs. She saw that some of the cloth on the wagon had come undone. She crawled over the bodies that were working on getting up and peered outside to see where they were all being taken. 

        They were heading towards a maximum security prison complex built into a tall mountain that stretched up to the skies. The facility was surrounded by 10-foot tall stone walls with crystals on top to prevent people from escape. She saw towers posted around too. She didn't see any guards up in them- maybe they were for show.

        "Hey, un, what place is this?" She asked the drivers as her fellow passengers were now up off the wagon floor.

        "Didn't i tell you to shut up?!" He yelled back. She puffed out her cheeks in anger. "But since you are so curious, this is Absholm Prison." The other prisoners in the wagon freaked out. "That is where you and the rest of these miserable lowlifes are going to be spending the rest of your days."

        "Has anyone escaped?"

        "Hahahahahahahahaha... oh, you're serious? HA! No one has! The prison is built into the mountain- the only way out is through the front gate, and nobody gets out that way. This place is impregnable- there is no escape for the lot of you! hahahahaha."

        The girl snickered with a sneer as she sat back down on the bench. "We'll see, jackass..." She vilely chortled to herself, putting her arms back into the chains. They slid on effortlessly, like butter.

        As the wagon approached the only entrance to the prison complex, the stone doors slowly began to retract to let them in. Inside was a large transparent crystalline wall that separated the visitors from the work yard where prisoners took pick-axes and sledgehammers to valuable minerals mined from deep within the mountain. These may be criminals, but they can still contribute to something, and forced manual labor in mining out a 10000+ foot tall mountain and the large pit digging deep down over the decades is the way to do it.

        Once the wagon crossed over the threshold and the gate began to close back up, the girl once again peaked out of the opening in the wagon and saw that the prisoners working in the yard were gathering at the crystalline wall, making catcalls and whistling at the newbies. 

        "Whoo. Fresh Meat, boys." one of the prisoners caterwauled. 
        
        He and everyone else that gathered were suddenly shocked as the wall gave off an electrical discharge that kept them from getting too close. Guards aimed weapons at them from the towers, prompting those that gathered to get back to work.

        One of the prisoners, a pale-blue Orc with green and red stripes all over his face and fins coming out of his cheeks, leaned on his pick-ax and laughed at the stupidity his fellows showed. "Hoohoohoo... you know it's going to shock you every time you get close, so why bother lamebrain?"

        The lamebrain went to pick up his sledgehammer, angrily glaring at him. "Eh, shuddup, you fish-faced freak."

        The orc snickered a laugh. "You need to come up with fresh material, lamebrain. You used that same one. Oh, right, i forgot, you can't think because you need to be spoon-fed everything you are told, eh dumdum?" The lamebrain snarled and leaped to the orc to attack him. The orc punched him back, but the guy kept coming. Soon, they were on the ground and gathering a crowd as other prisoners surrounded them. It wouldn't be long until the guards arrived to break up the fight.

        The inside of the wagon went dark as they entered the mountain itself. The carriage came to a stop, which made the girl lurch forward and fall over, having not expected that. The back opened up as guards in armor climbed in and forced everyone out. "Alright, get out of here!" One of the meaner ones shouted, picking up the girl and tossing her out like a log into a furnace.

        "Owie." She said upon impact. She got up and rubbed where she landed the hardest before being shoved by another guard to follow the other prisoners. "Alright, alright, i'm going. Sheesh."

        As she followed, she took notice of the layout of the room they were in. The wagon had come in through the entry way, which was now all closed up, and it operated like most farms, with a big enough radius for the wagon to turn around in. Inside was the lobby: a 50 foot radii dome where the walls were carved and shaved to a mirror polish grey sheen, which was rather... disgusting, all things considered. In the center was a fountain that showed prisoners being stamped down by the guards. "(That's charming...)" She grunted to herself. And at the opposite end of the room was a balcony. It doesn't take a genius to know what that is for.

        She looked up at the sign above the archway separating the road from the lobby. On it, it read, "Abandon Hope, all who enter." She looked to one of the guards. "You know, you really should work on your slogan. You may come across as more likable that away." The guard sneered and shoved her again. "Agh, ok, i'm going, jerkface. This is gonna look bad on my review of the place, by the way. Zero stars, right out the gate."

        "Shut up." The same guard ordered, forcing her into the same crowd.

        Above them all, the senior and ornery Stone Elf warden of the facility walked out onto the balcony. Scars adorned almost every part of his face- he had seen some things over the years, many of them... unpleasant. That must be why he's one of the most successful wardens this prison has ever had.

        "Well, doesn't this guy scream tool." She whispered to the closest inmate. 

        The warden put his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth along the balcony. "You are all here because you are the worst of the worst. Your own races have abandoned you because your crimes were so inexcusable and numerous. They don't care about you or your livelihoods or what you were before. You were sent here, to MY prison, where the corrupted ref--"

        "Spare me this mockery of justice!!" One of the fresh inmates, a orc like the fellow outside but with a pinkish hue inside, shouted. "All i did was taking a piece of fruit, and for that i get a shame trial and get sent to this pitstain of a prison!" The warden angrily scowled to him. He gestured to the guards to restrain him. "It's people like you that corrupt the system!" One of the guards grabbed his arm, but he shoved him back and took the guards weapon. He swung it around, trying to take them out. "I'm not going to die in this rotten mountain just so some aristocrat gets jewelry!" 

        He made a beeline for the exit, running straight like an idiot. If he had bothered to zig and zag, it would've been a harder target, but as the fool ran straight, he was perfect target practice. A shot ran out and the prisoners eyes went blank as he fell forwards, a bloodstain and a hole in his back.

        Smoke hissed out of the wardens double-barreled flintlock pistol. He was going to use one of them as an example to show he means business and isn't someone to be taken lightly anyway, so this makes it a lot easier. "as i was saying..." He callously continued with his speech as he put his pistol in the holster. "...You were sent here, to my prison, where the corrupted refuse go to be forgotten by civilized peoples. No one will come for you, and there is no escape. Many have tried. None succeeded. This will forever be your new home. My name is Warden Tashell, and welcome to hell."

        "Um, question- can i upgrade?" the girl asked as she raised her hand like she was in school. Her fellow inmates and the guards looked to her like she was crazy.

        The warden raised a eyebrow at how audacious this girl is. What's more is that he doesn't recognize the species: no race in Garchion has cat ears coming out the top of their heads. And more importantly: how did she get out of her cuffs? "Who-- no, what the heck are you?"
        
        "Yeah, hi, name's Celeste, nice to meet ya- um, think i can upgrade to a better suite?"

        "Suite? This is a prison, Liebchen. This isn't a hotel or a inn."

        "Yeah yeah, i know, but do you think we can get a presidential suite involved? I just don't see stone working out for me."

        He was dumbstruck, for the most part. This lady is clearly insane, if she's thinking prison is a 4-star hotel. Then it dawned on him, "OH. I get it. Your a jester."

        "I'll be your jester if it'll get me in the suite."

        "Sorry, but we're all filled up in the joker department. But we do have a special suite for jokers like you." He gestured to his guards to grab her, which they went to do. "Take her to her new 'Suite'. The one across from Bione should be empty." They grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off as she continued to make asinine comments and requests. She didn't bother trying to fight- she knew she'd get nowhere. For now, anyway. The rest of the guards escorted the normal inmates to their assigned locations. "The one thing that never survives this place is a sense of humor."



        The "suite", as it were, was down in the bottom of the prison, before it stopped being a prison and one gigantic mining operation. They mine the minerals in the mountain, then send it up to the surface for the poor lads in the yard to chisel out. She didn't fight back, as she was down deep and knew that fighting solo was bad, as evidenced by the guy above. This section is where the worst of the worst go, and she can hear it. There were a lot of angry yells and vindictive shouting. 

        She was thrown into a roomy yet rotten cell. "Hey! I asked for a suite!" There was no door- the bars came down from above and clanged when they touched the ground. The guards walked off, laughing to themselves as she ran to the bars. "This'll look bad on my review for the place!!!" They ignored her and continued on.

        Celeste chuckled to herself as she looked at her spacious new quarters. "If this is where the worst go, they give them plenty of room to be bad in." She looked across the way and saw that the cell across from her was far, far bigger then hers- it was a cavern to her cave. "Wow. I'd had to see the baddie they have trapped in there."

        "You're my new neighbor?" A deep voice from the cell across from her said. "Rather scrawny for a hardened criminal."

        "Who said i was a hardened criminal?" She retorted, leaning on the bars like a conversationalist leaning on a watercooler. "Maybe i just came down here for the scenery."

        "Why would anyone want to come here voluntarily?"

        "Ah, that's the mystery." 

        "That makes no sense."

        "It does in my mind." She slipped out of her cuffs and threw them towards the end of the stone bed in the corner. "Ah, much better." She rubbed her wrists. "Iron really does not go well with my skin."

        "How did...?" She headed over to her new bed and jumped onto it. It bounced and folded just like a malleable cotton mattress. It should not be able to do that. It's made of pure stone. Her neighbor was more perplexed then he was before. "Wa... who are you?"

        "An enigma, my dear Bione."

        This added even more to the enigma that is Celeste. "You know my name?"

        She pointed up. "Warden fussypants said to put me in the cell across from you. Unless there's another Bione in this place, you're him."

        "I think we solved why you are down here..." He said passingly. "Well, you pissed him off, so you'll be down here a long while."

        "I know." She put her arms behind her head and put one leg over the other. "I think i'll stick around awhile, see how things work out. So far, i'm not liking their odds."

        "Beg pardon? Heh, you honestly think you can escape from this place?"

        "I don't think, i know." She summoned a sickle out of thin air and used it to pick her teeth. "I just want some free hots and cot for awhile, that's all."

        Bione was, understandably, dumbstruck. How can this girl: this scrawny, hyperactive, borderline crazy girl from a species he had never seen before and can somehow materialize weaponry out of thin air and make stone bouncy, think she can escape from a maximum security mining prison? He's seen a lot of crazy people during his time here, but this takes the cake. "You... may be the most confusing person i have ever met."

        "Heh... you have no idea." She looked at the mark on the inside of her wrist. It was like a furrowed cloth bellowing in the wind. Parts of it glowed black. She furrowed at it and pulled the sleeve of her prison jumpsuit over it. ".... you have no idea..."
 

Prologus 2

Bione





        Thump.

        Thump.

        Thump.

        Bione woke from a nap an hour or two after his conversation of the crazy girl to the sound of a constant thudding. He looked out his cell to the other side to find that the same crazy girl somehow has a ball and that she was bouncing it against the wall. How was she able to smuggle that in here? There would be no place to h--... never mind. He figured out how she would've been able to smuggle one and it wasn't pretty.

        But another idea came into his head: did she create the ball? She seems to have some strange abilities and magics, so it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. Are they linked to her species of... whatever the heck she is? Or is she just that gifted in magic? Only one way to get an answer. "Where did you get that?" He asked as he approached his cell bars.

        "I got it." Celeste passingly replied as she continued to throw it. 

        Not an answer. ".. ok, HOW did you get it? There's no way you could've smuggled that in here. And don't give me the 'women have more hiding places' line. A ball that size would be very awkward." She cheekily stuck her tongue out at him. "So the only possibility is that you created it.... and given that you turned a stone bed into a bounce house, it wouldn't surprise me."

        She snickered in response, "Maybe i bribed a guard."

        "With what? You have nothing... except your... i think i see why they threw you in prison."

        She snickered again. "You have such a gutter mind." She joked.

        "I'm just figuring things about about you. There's not much to do when you're in prison, so why not try to problem solve?"

        There are a lot of things to do in prison, like read, and sleep, and........ ok, not a lot of 'questionable' things. "Eh, i suppose that's true. I didn't really see much of a rec room when i came in." She caught the ball in her hands, then sat up. The stone bed remained solid; she must've changed it back during his nap. "So following your example, it's my turn to ask: why were you thrown in?" She asked as she spun the ball in her hands. "If you're down here in the pits, you must've really done something bad." A long silence came from Bione's cell. Due to the darkness, she can't tell if he's deep in thought or moving away. "Big guy?"

        "It's... personal reasons. Ones i don't want to divulge....." She approached her cell bars and leaned up against them. "Let's just say... i pissed off the wrong person and they made sure i would never be seen again for the rest of my days."

        "Did you try to kill them?"
    
        "In a... manner of speaking. As for why i am down in the pits, it's due to me being one of the lizardfolk; we do have wings, after all." And there is a big open courtyard outside- easiest two-and-two puzzle ever. "Brute strength, flight, natural abilities: i tried so many different things to get out of here, and they always had countermeasures, such as chains or special items, but i kept on trying and trying and trying. Eventually, the Warden had enough and tossed me down here, locking me away. I've been in this cell for a few months now and these bars cannot be broken. They're made of Makutite, a stone even dragon fire can't burn."
    
        Makutite... that is a strong metal. It takes a lot of force to crack a shell made from that stone, and dragonfire isn't one of them. At the very least for criminals and armies, it's a rare stone; mined only in four places across the entire world "Ah. That's a strong stone." She knocked on the bars of her cell. They reverberated her knocks. "So, what exactly is this place?"

        "Really? You don't even know where you were taken?"

        "Well, i was half asleep out of sheer boredom when they were giving my sentence and my ride here, so i don't know the specifics of anything."

        He made tsking noises. "... you are amazingly bizarre."

        "Eh, i've been called worse." She stuck her head out the bars and looked left and right. The many layers and levels of the pit seem to go on and on and on. This whole place must be 11 stories in complete height, and that's not counting whatever the mine is. "But based on all i gathered through such keen and astute observation, this is a Makutite mining operation and they use prisoners as cheap labor." She could sense his sudden disillusionment. She giggled awkwardly as she scratched her cheek. "It's obvious."

        "Right. well... i will try to answer to the best of my abilities." He moved closer to his bars. She still couldn't see him, but his eyes glowed a soft green. "This is Absholm, a prison where they send the worst of the worst to, as you correctly surmised, serve in a mining operation for Makutite. Murderers, rapists, arsonists, genociders- they all get sent here."

        "Even if you only commit one murder in your whole life?"

        "Well, no, that would be overkill. A riddle for you: say you were sentencing two murderers, One of them killed his brother in anger, and another slaughtered an entire family, children included, just for the thrills. Who would you sentence to be sent here here?"

        "The family slaughterer, obviously."

        "Exactly. When i meant the worst of the worst, i mean the worst of the worst. Half who come here don't have morals or know when to stop. Last i heard, they have Tekni the Ripper down in the lower depths." Tekni.... now that's a scary name. 4 years ago, he rampaged through the streets of the Human capital, killing dozens. "Its those people they send here. It's also a good place to... make someone disappear, if you catch my drift. Political opponents the other side wants gone."

        "So it's a corrupt system. That was obvious from our dear warden."

        She's quick to catch on, he figured. "Ah. I see you already met Versho. He's... well, you saw him."

        "Yep. A creepy, narcissistic control freak. When i saw him, he was giving us our orientation when this guy who could not speak right to save his own life called him out on his bull and tried to run for freedom. What he got was a hole in his back."

        "He's a lucky one, then. Versho is known for his... tastes. And there are some... horrible screams some nights."

        Horrible tastes... there are so many ways that could be taken. "A sadistic elf? That's gotta be a first." She said sarcastically. 

        "Those aren't the kind of tastes i was referring too."

        She winced in disgust as disturbing thoughts came to her mind. She didn't need to know that. Just the knowledge he was a corrupt scumbag was enough, now she's got bad thoughts circling her head. "Is it just Makutite they mine here? It's a rare stone, so it can't just be that they mine here, even if it is valuable. Hard to run a operation when it's just one rare metal."

        "They also mine Graphite. This was originally a small mining operation until they found the Makutite a few hundred years ago. They mine it down there, then haul it up to the surface so that the boys in the yard can break it down. You saw that when you came in, i'd wager."

        She nodded. "I remember. Saw a couple of annoying ingrates, especially one who likes to use the word Lamebrain. And the warden is smart to keep up the Graphite operation; Makutite is valuable, but still rare. Besides, not everyone uses that stuff, but everyone does use pencils."

        "Pretty much." Bione replied. She pulled her head back and sat back down. "I have heard rumors that someone found a vein of gold worth around 30 Million Decles a few decades back and was able to buy his freedom, but the Warden would never admit to that."

        She whistled in amazement- that is a lot of money, if it was true. "Wow. That's a lot of moolah." She put her hands behind her head and laid back. "So, how did you get locked up in here?"

        "... i thought i told you i didn't want to talk about it. You ask me a third time, you'll get the same response."

        "I know. You don't have to give me the nitty gritty details, but at least give me a vague idea."

        He grumbled, "You first. You're young. I think." The way she acts, she must be a child, but clearly isn't, and he offended her based on the look on her face. "Maybe i should lead with this question: what species are you? I've never seen anyone that looks like you across Cha'lianta." She stayed silent, unsure on how to explain it without freaking him out. He sensed her hesitation and proceeded to guess. "Are you from across the sea?"

        That'll work; she can work with that. "Yes. Yes i am. I'm from far, far to the west. Farther then you can imagine." Now to come up with a story that can work. Lucky for her, she has a active imagination, so coming up with something was easy pickin's. "... i was escaping bad things from my homeland. My.... family... is tasked to do some nasty things and i didn't want any part of it, so i grabbed the fastest ship i could find and fled. Several months and one shipwreck later, i was here on this rock. I spent a few years working some odd jobs... until i got one i botched up. I was hired to assassinate a political official by his opponent in a run for re-election. I succeeded, but I got caught and was swiftly sentenced to this mudhole."

        "Who did you kill?"

        "I don't know- i didn't memorize the name, just his address. I do know he was human, though- this was in... i think a port city." How can an assassin not remember her target? That's just poor business. "But now its your turn, and like i said, you don't need to go into specifics."

        He was slow on his reply. He really doesn't want to talk about this. "... back home, i was in love with someone. But... they chose another and i got furious." He started to choke up as he talked, something she easily picked up on. This must've been really hard for him to open up about. "So... in my rage... i attacked... and that's all i'm going to say..."

        She felt horrible for making him drudge up whatever he had buried, so she had to change the subject to something more light before he turned into a recluse. And he's the only one here she can tolerate so far. "Sorry for bringing it up." All she got was silence. "...Are there any books to read?"

        It took him a while to respond, likely to get all the negative out of his system. "... um... T-they bring us some from time to time. Most everyone here doesn't read, which leaves more for me. First thing i read was a history text about the prison. Like i said before, this place  was originally just a normal mining operation before the first warden- who was just the foreman- figured it would make a good labor camp after they found Makutite: use prisoners and you wouldn't have to pay them for labor. All they would get is a crappy bed and crappy meals. It's a crappy system, but it works. The fact this prison has been running for centuries is proof of that."

        "I guess. And what about us? Do we ever get out of here to.. i dunno, exercise or something?"

        "Since this is your first day here, i reckon you'll be brought back up to a cell in the upper levels before long. As for me and every other repeat offender, we're stuck down here until the Warden decides we've learned our lesson or are useful again to society again. At least our meals are more... extravagant then those up top, if you can call going from slop to scraps an upgrade."

        "I'm sure some people would." She got up off the floor, kicking herself up onto her feet. She flapped her arms as she took a look around her cell. "So, has anyone ever broken out of this hellhole?"

        "If they did, it was when the prison was still new. They had a long time to fortify, fix, improve. I know from experience that modern escape attempts end in abject failure."

        "What did you encounter?" She asked as she knocked on the walls, listening for a hollow sound.

        "Well, i'm sure you saw those crystals atop the walls when you came in. They electrify the wall, preventing prisoners from climbing.  And if you try to fly over, both the crystals and the guards will shoot you down; on the plus side, it's never a lethal shot. And digging is out of the question. They keep a close eye on all the shovels and pickaxes they hand out. If one is missing, they bring in the army. Eh, metaphorically. Even those attune to magic like elves and dwarves have collars that limit their magic... though they didn't put one on you." How's that a bad thing, she wondered. "Making stone bouncy is clearly magic... though it is a magic i haven't seen. Is it from your country?"

        "Yep." She wasn't able to find a hollow sound- she was surrounded by thick rock walls; no weaknesses here. She has to use the direct approach. "Though i don't think i'll be sticking around long."

        He tilted his head. "Sticking around?"

        'Yeah, i'm just here to kick back, relax, and unwind. Once i'm bored, i think i'll head out on a trip."

        He gave a scoffing chuckle. "This isn't a hotel. You cannot just walk out of a prison. You are... strange with your magic, but i doubt even you can stand against dozens upon dozens of guards, magicked artifacts, and gods knows what else the Warden has."

        "Why not? I can bring you with."

        What did she say? "... say what?" He slowly replied. 

        "Yeah, i could bring ya along. Outside of your... mistake, you seem like a nice person."

        Though she can't see it, he is slowly shaking his head. She is crazy; she is truly crazy. It's doubtful she listened to a thing he said. "You... you need psychiatric help." He huffed as he went further back into his cave.

        "I'd make him go insane with what's in my mind." She joked back as she pointed to her forehead.

 

Prologus 3

Hollender and Bob




        "Chow time!"

        The loud, blaring sound of a bell, broadcast over primitive loudspeakers, echoed all the way down the Pit hallways- the long, long, long, and tall hallway that led to the central chamber- the Pit. Most every cell door was opened up, and the prisoners filed out. Those who didn't comply were dragged out; refusing the bell was a bad idea. Those working in the Pit- or at the very least in the top stratum- put down their shovels and their pick-axes and relaxed while being escorted out.

        All the prisoners walked in single file, except for one, and she was snoring up a storm in her cell.

        A pair of guards from the rear of the prisoner convoy- both of whom were human- noticed that she was still in her cell and entered. "Prisoner 21231, didn't you hear the bell?" The darker one asked as he approached her sleeping form. But when he did, he saw something... peculiar, something that should not be here at all. "... How in the world did she get a magazine? We don't even have 'em."

        The other guard that came in with him, lighter in his complexion, picked the magazine off her face and looked at the cover, which had a really buff Tefrin- a anthropomorphic snow leopard- posing provocatively. "Nor is this brand even accessible in this country. This is something you'd only find in the far north." The first guard looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? My brother likes them- says it helps him and his boyfriend." The first guy wasn't buying it. The second cleared his throat and waved the magazine over Celeste's face, "Wake up!"

        Celeste snorted awake, sitting upright, her eyes all droopy as she held up a single finger. "Yeah, i'll take the 13:13 to Vululu..." She snorted again as her vision cleared up. "Oh... right." She then noticed the guards. "Hiya, boys."

        The second guard held up the contraband, asking, "Where did you get that magazine?"

        "I got it." And that was the truth; if the guards had seen her in action an hour ago, they wouldn't be questioning this. But as this is the first they have met Celeste, they are out of the loop of how enigmatic she can be. 

        "Got it how?" The first one asked.

        "Like i'm gonna tell you." Now she's just being mean, and for good reason: they woke her up from her nap and she hates it when people wake her up from her naps. It's like they've never seen a cat in their lives. "Now, where's everyone goin'?"

        The guards looked back to the line of prisoners that were passing the cell by. "Chow time."

        So they DO serve food here, but based on Bione's statement, it's gonna be trash. Ah well, food's food, can't really complain, especially in this place. "Finally, i'm starving. Had nothing but biscuits in there." As she rolled her legs over the edge of her stone table of a bed, she saw that the guards were looking at her funny, like she has lost her mind. "What?"

        "How in the ever-loving Saerk did you get biscuits?" They both exclaimed, with it moving to yelling, "We don't even have biscuits!"

        "Really? Huh. No wonder they were so stale." She tossed one to the wall; it hit and sounded like a rock.

        How.... what.... how.... what is this creature? How is she able to do ANY of this? All of this should be impossible. It left the second guard utterly flabbergasted, his mouth wide as his mind was dumbfounded. "Wha..."

        "Ignore her." The first guard said, just as flabbergasted but not as dumbfounded as his other. "She's clearly trying to get a rise out of you." And it worked, but the guard regained himself and brought his flintlock up to bare. "Come on." The first moved to her and hauled her up onto her feet, gripping her arm tight. "Move it before you go without supper."

        "Fine Fine Fine. I'm going." She took her arm out of his grip and headed for the exit, where the second already was. The line had already moved on, meaning they were the last three to leave. "And you can put those toys away; i ain't gonna leave. Least not yet." Not yet? Does she think this is a Bed & Breakfast? As they started to walk away, Celeste noticed that Bione's cell wasn't open. He's still in there; she can see the reflection of the light in his eyes piercing the darkness. "Why isn't Bione coming?"

        "Same reason why he's never allowed outside." The second began to explain. "He'll fly first chance he gets; that's just how Lizardfolk are." Celeste angrily grumbled. "I don't know why the warden doesn't just euthanize the stupid thing. It's never going to listen and it would save us so much time and hassle."

        "Wound save my group from having to clear up his damn mess." The first added.

        Celeste planted her feet into the ground and turned to confront them. "Hey, you have no right to talk about him like that! Apologize to him! Right now!"

        The two guards looked at each other, and then laughed it off. This girl is something else. "Yeah, right. Get moving, kitty kat."

        They tried to get her to move, but she stayed put, snarling like a enraged cat. "Rrrrr..."

        THe two guards sensed this was going to be a problem, so they raised up their flintlock rifles to put her down before she could act. Bione, on the other hand, wasn't about to let anything happen. "New girl... don't bother." He said from his cell. "Even if you take these two out, the rest will rip you apart."

        It didn't sit well with her, leaving her first friend in this armpit of a prison in his cell, hungry while she goes to eat. "But Bione..."

        "I'll be fine. They've said a lot worse about me. That doesn't even crack the top 100."

        She was hesitant to leave him alone, but her decision was made for her as the guards dragged her away against her will. She looked back to Bione's cell under it was out of sight...



        ...and the next thing the gal knew, she was getting fed slop on a rusty ol' tray, complete with flies. It was so gross, any weak-stomached person would've vomited right then and there, but she kept her cool. She really, really wanted to throw up- she felt the bile rising up, reaching her throat, but she kept it down. You never want to show weakness in prison, else you end up someone's bitch. In addition to the slop, the inmates were given oranges and a cup of milk. Why oranges and milk? Well, most of the non-human species absorb vitamins and nutrients 4 times faster then any human, so the calcium from oranges and milk keep their bones nice and strong to work in this hellish mining operation. At the very least, it's mana-full of flavor compared to the slop.

        Celeste had been taken to one of five dining halls for the many prisoners here, with the fifth reserved for the guards and the staff, and presumably the Warden too. By her estimate, there were 100 prisoners in this hall, and that's not counting the cooks and the guards. Assuming the other halls are the same size and share the same count, there's, bare minimum, 400 prisoners here. That is, of course, assuming all the cells are filled, or that there aren't others in the lowest depths that never join them and are instead sent food their way. In which case, a nice estimate would be... 430 prisoners. Presumably, if she's guessing right about the worst of the worst being stuck down there forever.

        As she walked along the longtables that went from wall to wall, looking for a place to sit, she saw that there were cliques here, just... a whole lot of gangs. Most were comprised of their respective races, while others were stereotypical: the strong club, the racist club, just nothing but stereotypical prison gangs. But she was able to find a seat, at least. From the outside, this looks like a ordinary club with no gimmick. At the very least, don't let this be the racist club, she said to herself. "Hey there." She said to one of the prisoners as she approached. The one she talked to, a very buff Tefrin like from her magazine, looked up at her. "Is this seat taken?"

        "Not really." The snow leopard responded with a surprisingly light voice- was this a girl? Her muscles are so huge, you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. The fur didn't help matters either; it's so floofy. "That was Tekkles seat, but..... well, she doesn't need it anymore."

        "Oh." She can only imagine what happened to this Tekkles girl, but at least she has a place to sit. "So what are you in for?" She asked as she sat down.

        "Killed a child." Not the answer she was expecting, but should've been anticipated since this is a prison. You don't go here for being nice; this ain't a tyrannical dictatorship. "It wasn't done on purpose. I was doing a job and i got found out. Bodyguards came after me, i fought back... then a stray arrow i fired went into a house and got a kid right as his mother was tucking him into bed. I got away from town, but when news hit  us that a kid was killed during the scuffle, i willingly gave myself up. I didn't deny the claims, i didn't combat the charges; i didn't even plea for a lighter sentence. I killed a kid cause of my incomitance and it's something that's going to haunt my for the rest of my life. If i could, i'd pay that family a humongous sum of money to apologize for what i did."

        Celeste stayed still, absorbing what she was saying... almost like she was a robot or something, like she was reading her. After a few seconds of... that, she patted the downtrodden leopard on the head. "I believe you. It was a accident and you feel sorry and responsible for it. Most others would try and run." The Teflin wasn't sure if she should take that as a complement or not. Celeste then turned her attention to someone else at their table, sitting on the opposite side of the snow leopard. "What about you, big guy?" She asked the..... clearly mentally unstable Fire Elf.

        The elf looked to her with the same burning hatred in his eyes that he shows everyone. "I burned my house down with my family still inside, all so i could hear them cry. I can still hear their screams at night. It helps me sleep."

        Instant regret. She regrets asking this lunatic about himself. "..................................... o.... k then." She skootched as far away from him as she could, digging into the Tefrin, much to her annoyance. "I regret asking."

        The humanoid snow leopard pushed Celeste out of her fur and dipped her spoon in the trash heap masquerading as food. "And you?"

        "Killed a politician." Celeste replied as calmly and nonchalantly as you can possibly get.

        "That's a crime?" An obnoxious Stone Dwarf on the opposite side of the table laughed. "Pesha, they should give you a medal for that."

        "He still had enough power in the afterlife to send me here." She commented back, gesturing to the food hall.

        Thinking about it for a moment, the Dwarf passively shrugged in agreement; the politician must've had some powerful friends. "Must've been a powerful politician then."

        "Not really. He was---" A loud crash broke that conversation short. She looked back and saw the Orc she saw from her arrival looking flummoxed, his arms wide as he looked at the food on his shirt. The prisoner who ran into him made a threat towards him- blaming him for the mess, even though he was the guilty party- only for the Wood Troll to pick him up and toss him away, right into the garbage chute. Watching the two of them walk to the empty spot the guy had "graciously" opened up to them, the Orc sat down while the Troll kept standing. 

        Celeste pursed her lips to the side; were those two the big boys in the prison hierarchy? There are no other Trolls here, so he must be high up in the food chain. "So what's the deal with those two? I saw them when i was brought in on the wagon; the orc kept calling people 'lamebrain'."

        "That sounds like Hollander, alright." The snow leopard commented as she took a bite.

        "Hollander?"

        "He's a Vane Orc from the Northern Tundra; same region as me, but operated in a different town. He was here long before i was; almost a decade." That's not good for him; Vane Orcs live short lives, barely making it past 45. Based on his age, he's still "Young", but only probably 25. "From what i heard, he's here either for killing his family, planning a coup, or peeing on the side of a church." 

        yeesh... any of those would've landed him here. But... there's something off about him, though. "Does he even have a family?"

        "I dunno. I never saw anyone come to meet him during visiting hours. And fair warning: the guy has a really short fuse, and i mean short. I was saw him go from docile to 'tear someone apart' in a second because someone was asking him some questions."

        So they have visiting hours here? Probably not the smartest idea for a supermax penitentiary, but she doesn't run the place. But that doesn't explain the other guy. "And that Wood Troll beside him? Why does he hang around Holly?"

        The Tefrin, the Elf, the Dwarf, and several others nearby looked towards her oddly. Was that something she wasn't supposed to ask?  "That's funny, but don't call him in front of him; he'll knock your teeth out." So it's the Holly thing. "But that Wood Troll is probably the longest living resident here."

        "But why's he here?" She looked back to him. "He looks like a big ol' softy, when he's not, you know, throwing people."

        "He planted a tree."

        That's it, she thought. That's why the only Troll here is in here in the first place? Because he planted a tree? What kind of inane logic is that? ".... that's it? He just... planted a tree and for that, he's in a maximum security labor camp?"

        "It is ridiculous, but apparently, the land he planted was sacred to the local Wood Elf tribe in that area, and their chieftain had ties to a Wood Elf politician, so..." Corruption at its finest... where something as innocent as planting a tree will get you sent away for life. Aren't Woof Elf's supposed to be the most understanding creatures? Shouldn't they have talked to him instead of just immediately going to the authorities? That's what Celeste would've done. "As for why he's attached to Hollender... i have no idea. But you know how Trolls are; once they cling to ya, you can never get rid of 'em. You're stuck with 'em until you die or they die."

        The undying loyalty is news to her, but it would explain why a gentle creature is taking orders from a brute. "What's his name?"

        "I don't know what his real name is; knowing Trolls, it's probably something we can't pronounce. For simplicities sake, everyone calls him Bob."

        That is not the name you give to a Troll. Sure, the naming convention among them aren't ever grandiose, but still... "Bob? You all named a Troll.... Bob."

        "It's simple, easy to remember, and he's the only one here named Bob, so it works. And he's had a number of times to protest the name or even tell us his, but he hasn't, so Bob has stuck around."

        Pursing her lips yet again, Celeste looked back to the 11-ft tall behemoth of a tree and pondered. Her eyes briefly shone as something was reflected in them, briefly changing to a gold look for a few seconds. "Well, he gives off the aura of a Bob..."

        "Aura?"

        "Oh lords below..." The Elf groaned as he pinched his eyes. "...the new girl follows the old spiritual nonsense."

        That's new; a Elf that doesn't believe in the spiritual. "And what's wrong with that?" She asked. In the Elf's mind, a lot, but she wasn't going to let him answer. "Thought so." She playfully tapped him on the cheek. "You need to lighten up more, else you're gonna die from a ulcer soon." Was that a threat, he thought? He wasn't going to get an answer, cause she had already gotten up, popping a fry into her mouth, before heading towards the pair.

        The Elf was loud in his protest, but there was something more pressing here. The Tefrin and the Dwarf leaned in at her food tray. It was still the same glop they all have, so... "Where the heck did that girl get a fry?" The two said in unison.

        Making her way through the overcrowded hall, bumping some heads along the way, the strange foxy-kitty eventually made it to Hollander and Bob... why is she even bothering talking to these two? Nobody here can say for sure. Just as she reached them, Bob stepped in her way, keeping her from getting any closer. "Sup." She politely said with a energetically warm smile on her face. it was enough to soften Bob up, lower his intensity. "Names Celeste." She offered her hand.

        Before Bob could do anything, "And i don't care." Hollander said behind the Wood Troll, with his head rested on one fist while the other hand shoveled food into his mouth.

        Playfully pouting, Celeste bent down and whine, "Aw, why not? Don't be like that."

        "Be like what?"

        "A grouchypants. But at least you speak better Basic then the other Orc i came in with. I don't think that guy was mentally sound." A few seconds and she's already crossed the line into annoying; that's impressive, by his standards. "Why don't you care?"

        "Because i just don't, alright?" He replied with hints of distain already on his voice. "Now get lost, lamebrain."

        The playfully sad pout turned into one of infuriation as her eyebrows furrowed and her smile turned upside-down. "Someone's rather rude." She hissed as she straightened back  up.

        He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; she's just a newbie here. She'll eventually learn her place here and stop bothering him. Eventually.... he just needs to be patient and wait for that. Average time is 2 weeks to a month for someone to break, so the wait should be cake. "Just shut up and go away." 

        "Sheesh. Grouchy much?" He snarled towards her. "I'll take that snarl to mean yes."

        He's going to lose his gourd if she stays and pesters him for much longer. There's only so much bull he can take... as if it wasn't obvious enough, Hollander has little to no patience. "What will it take for you to go away and leave me alone?" He growled, his already low patience really cracking under her. 

        "mmmm.... how's about a kiss on the cheek?" He spit up his food, pelting the other Orc across from him in the face. It was enough to make Celeste laugh. "Hehehehe... oh, you are all so easy to tease, little Holly." His eyes twitched. Holly? Did she just call him Holly? He hates that nickname... Hate may be too small a word for how he feels towards that nickname. He creaked his head towards her with intent to kill. "Hehehe." She grinned gleefully before zipping away.

        Hollander took a deep breath, then stood up from his seat. "Bob..." The Wood Troll looked to him. "... keep an eye on my food." He stepped away from the table, then chased after Celeste with intent to maim. "Get back here, you annoying lamebrain!!"

        All Celeste did in response was stick out her tongue and run backwards with her hands behind her head; this girl has to be on something, the vast majority of people thought. She leaped and jumped over tables like a acrobat, while Hollander had to barrel his way through, knocking down a majority of other peoples lunches. This led to a lot of furious uproaring from the more volatile of the crowd... and then a messy food brawl as punches and plates were thrown in equal measure. 

        Hollander lost Celeste in the chaos, leading to him to joining the food fight. Only a few weren't taking in part, and that's because they don't want to go further into the pit; they don't want to lose what few brownie points they claimed, the Tefrin group among them. "So..." Celeste asked, appearing as if out of nowhere next to the anthro snow leopard, which made her jump in shock in her fur; how did she get here so fast? She was on the other side of the hall. "... what's your name?"

        "Un.... Friole."

        She smiled widely as she tilted her head. "Hiya, Friole. Name's Celeste."