Escaping The Empire - The Nonhuman Chronicles

Wilhelmina looks at the bandit. "I wouldn't be so sure that it doesn't matter anymore. Your life doesn't have to end tonight. You still have use." She smirks. "This woman, can she provide shelter?"

 

“You have no one but yourselves to blame for attacking us instead of trying to talk.” Ariel pointed out, feeling no sympathy for the man. “But yes, tell us more about this lack market woman you trade with. What does she have to offer?”

 

"I can't really speak for her, but i...ah...would rather not talk about it anymore. Not with an Empireman listening in." The elf glares in the direction of Gerid.

 

"They're the least of your problems, I assure you. Talk."

 

The elf scoffs at your threat. "Look kill me if you want. I'm not going to give away secrets about anyone who is resisting The Empire while one of its soldiers is around. Especially when you were all fighting him when we came upon you. You can't say that he's part of your group."

 

"I am not," Gerid replies, his glare a match for the elf's, "but for the moment, neither am I part of the group that will eventually be following me up this path. So unless you truly have no desire to live, I suggest you tell what you know so we can get to setting things up to further delay them."

 

He rolls his eyes. "Then dealing with someone with such fluid allegiances should be trusted even less."

 

“He's right, you know,” Ariel pointed out as she looked at the man that had found them shortly before the bandits' attack, “He has no reason to trust you – and neither do we. Quite the opposite, in fact. So tell us: Who are you and why should we trust you instead of just slitting your throat?”

 

"My alliance has not changed, elf. Just because your kind abandons things like ideals does not mean others do," Gerid replies coldly to the elf before turning towards Ariel.

"My name is Gerid Ashwater," he says to the winged woman, "I was assigned to that unit as a scout but my direct commander and those loyal to him seem more interested in serving their two pouches than the actual needs of the Empire."

His gaze tilts ever so slightly to the faun girl clinging to Ariel's back and again his eyes fill with sympathy. "And the reason you can trust me is because of how you've treated her."

 

“I see...” Ariel looked at Gerid for a few more seconds then turned her head and looked at Talia. “You seem to recognize him. What can you tell us about him?” She asked softly.

 

"I..." a slightly sickened look crosses Talia's and there's a long pause before she continues "...don't really want to think about any of that. He didn't join in, but he also didn't really try to stop them either..."

 

@Daylan
“Thank you, Talia. I'm sorry for making you remember such an unpleasant experience.” Ariel gave the faun a warm smile before turning back to Gerid. “So you're not a rapist like the other guards. A good start, but being better than a bunch of rapists is not exactly a very high bar to overcome... In any case the fact remains that are a soldier of the Empire. Why should we trust you to not betray us to your friends as soon as you get the chance?”

 

"Because I want her to get to somewhere safe," Gerid replies, once more indicating Talia with a nod of his head, "I'm sorry I was unable to act before they... did what they did. We should not be harming innocents. Only those who truly oppose us. And the fact that you lot did not abandon her, use her as bait, nor left her unguarded speaks highly as well."

He frowns. "But we're wasting too much time like this," he continues, "If you need an act to prove the word I give is true, name it."

 

“Well, how about you cover your ears and keep your distance, so that our eleven friend can tell us about that black market woman without you hearing him? Since the main issue seems to be that you're an Empire soldier and he does not trust you – for good reason.” Ariel suggested.

 

Axel lumbered towards the group and listened as they discussed various allegiances and trusts. For his part, he wasn't sure if he could trust any of them, at least half as far as he could throw them; as he was pretty sure he could throw any of them pretty far. But so long as they weren't actively trying to kill each other, or imprison each other, he could at least tolerate and work with them. So long as they weren't human mind you. But the one that had originally approached by stealth, and the other that had actively attacked... they were on thin ice so-to-speak.

The minotaur came up behind the half-elf and rested the flat blade of his ax on the sorter man's shoulder, sharp end grazing the elf's neck, and said "Come elf. Let talk."

 

Gerid did not visibly react to the axe touching his shoulder or the blade being up against his neck. In fact, he seemed more annoyed than anything as his eyes narrowed a bit and he growled, "Don't. Call. Me. That. OX."

Never the less, he seems willing to go along with the larger monster and nods at Ariel's suggestion. "Very well. If that will satisfy you."

 

As you get escorted out of earshot, you feel the elf's eyes bore into your back and he mutters to Ariel and Wilhelmina, "You best watch your back with that empireman around. If he's willing to betray his companions once, then he'll likely do it again for the right price."

Once he's sure that Gerid is out of earshot, he continues. "The woman you're looking for is named Otoshi. Her family comes from money and she lives in the upper-class district of Aldenor. Not exactly a place some of you can easily get to in a human city. She rarely deals with people personally and in order to get a chance to speak with her; you'll need some form of payment to coerce her henchmen and know where to meet them."

 

Gerid's obvious annoyance at Axel calling him an elf only served to both amuse and confuse the minotaur, and he let out a snort in response. He was an elf. There was no denying it, the pointed ears were a dead giveaway. Why be upset with what you are? It spoke of self-hatred to the minotaur, and told the brute that the elf needed to make peace with himself. Axel contemplated introducing Gerid to religion but decided it best to wait before broaching that subject. Besides, if he didn't like it what would he prefer to be called instead? Human!? As far as Axel was concerned that was infinitely worse. At the very least most elves were a respectable lot, from his perspective anyway. Humans on the other hand... the thought of them made Axel's blood boil.

As for the elf's attempted insult, unlike Gerid who was an elf, Axel wasn't an Ox. That meant one of two things: either Gerid was either too blind or stupid to tell the difference, or he was just lashing out trying to anger Axel without knowing the minotaur. Either way, Axel's faith deemed he instruct the elf or half-elf or whatever at some point.

Once the two were out of earshot, a fair distance considering elven hearing, Axel asked "What name?"

 

@moonblack Wilhelmina frowns. "It seems like a lot of work to go to, just to get an audience with her. And we don't know if she'll betray us. An upper class district wouldn't be difficult for me to infiltrate, after all, that's where I come from, but is it worth it?"

 

"Gerid," he replied, his voice a low growl, "Gerid Ashwater. And what do I call you?"

He continued to stare up at the much larger minotaur defiantly, his irritation still plain on his face. Internally, he was fighting to keep a much hotter wave of anger suppressed. He did not like being reminded of the other half of his nature, especially when keeping it hidden was such an important part of his life. Given what elves were like, why would he ever want to acknowledge it when he did not have to?

The fact the minotaur had also just ignored his insult meant the creature was either too stupid to understand it or was treating him like something easily dismissed and looked down upon. Gerid was not sure which option made him more annoyed.