Escaping The Empire - The Nonhuman Chronicles

Axel hit the riverbed after smashing through the iron bar cell door. With a satisfied huff, he rose to his full height before turning to the pale woman. "No." he replied simply before moving out of the river.

Once out of the water he shook himself off, water droplets propelled from his dark fur. The sound of the battle dying out from above filled his ears and he scanned the ground for anything he could use as a weapon. It was only then that he took note of the others who had escaped their cells. Not seeing any guards he turned back to the pale woman. "You held?" He grunted. Minotaur vocal cords were not built for human speech, and words that were more than one syllable were difficult to pronounce. Three syllables or more were outright unintelligible unless spoken very slowly.

 

What the- Ariel blinked in surprise at the thrown rock. She was about to look around for the source when she was interrupted by a horrible metallic screech that made her cringe and cover her ears for a moment. Taking a quick look around the angel saw that the Minotaur had managed to escape his cell and had his attention focused on one of the other prisoners.

Turning her attention back to the captive faun Ariel began speaking again “There are a total of five cells, including yours. So I guess there are five of us, with you being the first or the last, depending on how you count. Unless there was a cell with more than one prisoner, which seems highly unlikely.” She answered Talia's question as she began trying to force the shattered doorframe to yield and free the faun's path to freedom.

 

Wilhelmina follows him. "I apologise. I didn't mean to offend you. Please, let me have some of your blood. In return, I'll owe you a favour. A favour from a full blooded vampire is nothing to scoff at. Please". Her voice is still haughty, but it softens.

 

The wood is still pretty solid, but with some force, you manage dislodge some planks. From there, the rest became slightly easier to pull away until you have cleared out what was left of the door.

Talia approached the door carefully. Her form stayed low and deliberate. with the broken bar in her hands, she almost looked like a huntress stalking her prey with a spear. She kept the spear pointed at Ariel the entire time. Once at the entranceway, she quickly peeked her head out around the side of the cell to make sure no one was waiting to ambush her. Her ear twitched reflexively at the feeling of the fresh air against it. Then finally, the young faun stepped out of the rubble.

She eyes the angel carefully. "So now what?"

 

"Well, for starters, I would really appreciate your help, first with untying my wings," Ariel pointed at her bound wings "and then with this annoying collar they put on me." The angel gave the faun a charming smile and a hopeful look.

 

Axel had to p0nder.

She'd been locked up with the rest of them so she had to have done something to the humans that caused them to treat her in such a fashion. Now that they were free, their survival could likely depend on co-operation, and she looked somewhat weak at the moment. That made him consider her offer.

But she looked human.

When he was enslaved by the humans once or twice he'd overheard them tell stories of these vampires and they regarded the creatures of the night with dread. Although he'd never met one before he'd imagined them as dark and imposing monsters, not dissimilar from himself. But this woman was no bigger than any other human woman. Barely rising above his own waist. Still, the humans feared her and that counted for something.

But she looked human.

'Be generous to others and you will receive generosity in turn.' The teachings of his faith ran in his mind, and she had promised him a favor if he helped her. Still, he wondered what good his blood would do her. But a few drops to help another in need... was that such a cost?

But she looked human.

Axel shook his head and huffed. "Fine. Find jar and cut" he said making a stabbing motion against his arm.

 

(Just going to go with what latest happened before swapping my character out, I guess.)

Kerri didn't really like swords all that much or rely on them. But it made more sense than risking breaking her own claws. She was fairly sure that was the reason they didn't bother trying to restrain since she would just cut her way out of most things. The drugs were only really coming out her system now, so she didn't even remember most of the trip here or where she was. How she got here was still a blur exactly and it was probably that it kept her quiet and docile for most of the trip is why they didn't try as hard with keeping her restrained...it would have been a poor mistake on their ends by the time they had arrived and when she had fully woken up....but it didn't matter, since there wasn't really anybody left to take things out on, other than obnoxiously loud people. They weren't dead...so...did she really need to deal with them?

Setting a course for the river, she reasoned it was the easiest place to hunt and set up camp..it didn't totally matter where she ended up and it was going to be a while before there was any humans around to realize what had happened, so that would at least give her some time to get things ready. Heading off in that direction, she didn't see a need to sprint at full speed and just kept a pretty laid back pace as she tried looking for a decently covered wooded area along the river to set up her fire and get started on food. She didn't mind raw meat, but there was no reason she couldn't enjoy a properly cooked steak, once in a while.

 

"A jar? I hardly need that". She takes his hand, gently holding it up towards her face. "You have my gratitude, bea-" she cuts herself off. "Do you have a name?"

Waiting for the answer, her teeth dig into Axel's wrist. Instead of feeling a sharp pain, like he expects, he feels an unbelievable pleasure erupt, travelling up his arm into every part of his body. The sensation feels incredible, like the feeling of strong narcotics, amazing food, and great sex, all at the same time.

Wilhelmina gorges herself on his blood, before finally, reluctantly, pulling away. She licks the wound, saliva healing the bite marks. Axel sees that she looks far more vigorous, and even looks flushed, her cheeks and chest red. She grins up at the minotaur. "That... That was beyond delectable. I'd heard rumours that minotaurs tasted like that, but the reality far, far exceeds the expectation!" She looks bubbly, even a little buzzed, and she smiles readily where before she seemed glour.

@merkros Wilhelmina stands on the tips of her toes, laying a small kiss on Axel's lips, before she walks away. She looks at the group.

 

Axel's bottom hit the ground with a thud. He felt woozy, and tired like he needed to take a long nap. He hadn't expected her to drink his blood, he didn't know that's something that vampires did; and the fangs had surprised him more. The vampiress had drunk more blood than he'd wanted or would have offered and with the sensation, he felt while she drank what little remained seemed to travel into his cock causing it to swell to full mast. All of this combined with the fact that he hadn't eaten anything worthwhile in some time, nor had he received a good night's sleep caused him to collapse once she was finished.

With his erection jutting out and only a loincloth to cover him, the loose material fell to the side exposing him once his butt hit the grass. He was average-sized for a minotaur but for any other species, he would be considered immense or massive. His rigid cock had a slight curve and while he sat down it ended about where his stomach met his sternum. But he paid no heed to it.

He shook his head and snorted, refusing to shut his eyes in an effort to try and stay awake. The action caused his entire body to shake. To a passive observer, the sight of this behemoth just collapsing on his ass fighting the urge to sleep would have appeared both adorable and hilarious.

"Axel..." he slurred out answering her question. Blinking several times and breathing heavily, it would take him several moments to recover. Once he did, he sauntered back to the river to take several more gulps of water, the cool liquid allowing him to think slightly straighter. He remembered that he wanted some kind of weapon, and set about looking for something suitable.

 

The wary girl continues to watch you carefully as you charmingly give her a smile. It's difficult to tell how your charms are affecting the scared girl, or with the dampening collar even if they are. Still, she hesitantly takes a step forward and carefully scrapes the sharp tip against the ropes holding your wings down. After a few moments, you hear a twang and the weight constraining against your wings suddenly disappears.

The survivors of the accident definitely seem like a ragtag band of nonhumans. You see an angel woman being held at spearpoint by an angry faun and a short wolfkin girl making her way away from the wreckage at a brisk pace. Let alone the minotaur that you just ̶s̶u̶c̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ made into a meal laying on the ground behind you.

While searching around the wreckage, you finally get the full breadth of the situation that you're in. There seem to be five survivors of the crash and none of them seem particularly willing to trust one another. While noting this, you notice a very familiar pommel sticking out of the debris scattered along the hillside. It's probable that you'll be able to find your remaining equipment nearby.

The area is wooded, but it'll be difficult to find a thicket this close to the river that would provide you good cover. It's likely that camping for a quick bite to eat will either have to wait until you travel farther along the river, or be done down over the slope of the river bank. A narrow trek of land follows the river's meandering path which likely marks the high point during raining periods. It's relatively flat and a fire could possibly be built near the bank to protect it from unfavorable onlookers from up the mountain(Although not so much from the other side of the body of water)

 

Wilhelmina walks over to the angel and faun. "What's going on here?"

 

Axel moves towards the pommel, keen to investigate. His intention, should it turn out to be what he hopes it is, to reclaim it.

 

It took some deliberation on her part, but she determined it wasn’t the best possible place to set up camp...still, it would have to do. Building up a sleeping area too close to potential enemies triggered her instincts, but she reasoned it would take too long to scout out the other directions and she wanted a shelter started before nightfall. River water was fresh, at least. She could get away with drinking that, and...she knew of a tactic, albeit not a clean one to male smokeless fire and keep it better hidden. On top of that, you couldn’t cook food properly on regular fires, they actually needed to burn at a more desirable heat.

She’d need dry leaves, wood which she had. The planks from the cell would work, but not the bark from tress... and...dry animal droppings. The idea of that caused her pause. Her tribe wasn’t proud when it came to saving themselves...but there was still limits. She built up her initial pit anyway, and pondered about the last second. With all the oxen some had to be around...she determined that it was better she didn’t touch it herself and extended her claws to tear at the annoyingly itchy pant legs of her outfit, tearing them to make a cloth, so she wouldn’t have to directly touch the stuff when she found it.

 

As soon as her wings were free Ariel spread them as wide as she could, enjoying the feeling of doing so, and of being able to do so, for the first time since her capture. “Ah, that feels wonderful! Thank you, Talia! I appreciate it.” She gave thanks as she turned to look at the faun again.

The angel was about to focus on removing her collar next when she was interrupted by a woman's voice. Looking towards the source she saw a woman in a red dress, apparently one of the other prisoners. “Hello. Who might you be?” She asked the woman as she stood ready to get between the new arrival and the faun, if necessary, in order to prevent a potential incident. At first glance the woman seemed like a regular human, but there was something off about her and Ariel tried to figure out what as she examined her carefully.

 

She looks in the angel's eyes. "My name is Countess Wilhelmina Von Wittelsbach. Are you having difficulty with your collar?"

 

“Nice to meet you, Countess. My name is Ariel.” The angel introduced herself as she continued to examine the countess. Then it finally clicked and she realized who the woman reminded her of. “You're a vampire, correct? Hopefully you're not like the last one I met...” The asshole had tried stealing one of her servants, and had gotten (literally) burned as a result. “Anyway, yes, I am having a little trouble with this collar and could use some help...” She admitted.

 

Wilhelmina nods. "I suppose it's a bit too late to hide it. Yes, I am a vampire. I assure you, that, unless you should endeavour to do me harm, I will not wrong you like that other vampire did."

She takes the angel's hand. "I apologise, but we must be touching if you are not to be hurt." She lifts her free arm, before chanting in an alien tongue. "Elohar, daciar vanshar!" The air grows slightly thinner, and the vampiress bites at her own wrist. The blood drips down, meeting the metal of the collar, beginning to sizzle. Like acid, it melts through the metal, and he collar falls off, landing in two pieces.

Wilhelmina uses a kerchief to vigorously scrub away the blood from the angel's neck, before licking her wound, which closes magically. When she's satisfied that no blood remains on the angel, she lets go of her hand. "There we are, my darling. You are free".

 

Blood magic? That's not something I see often, but I guess it can be expected from a vampire... Ariel kept the thought to herself. “Thank you, Wilhelmina. I appreciate the help.” She added when her collar fell down, freeing her of its restrictions.

With the initial issues out of the way Ariel could now focus on more important things. But first there was one thing she wanted to take care of. She turned to the side and moved a bit out of the way so that her two companions could see each other properly. “Wilhelmina, this is Talia, a fellow prisoner,” she introduced the faun who had been watching them quietly so far, “Talia, as you probably heard, this is Wilhelmina. Again, thank you both for the help. I really appreciate it.” She gave each one a small bow. “Now, with the introductions out of the way, let us focus on what to do next. I, for one, have no desire to sit here and wait for the humans to come looking for us. Any suggestions? I was thinking I could fly up and scout around. Does either of you have a better idea?” She asked her fellow ex-prisoners.

 

Wilhelmina introduces herself to the faun, and nods to Ariel. "A good idea. I concur with your plan. We aren't safe here".

 

Not only do you manage to find your lost weapon, but a brief look around nets you the rest of your lost equipment.

While oxen droppings are a bit scarce, your keen senses allow you to find other kinds of droppings from various creatures of the woodlands. With a bit of minor effort, you manage to build a small fire capable of cooking and begin doing so. You pierce the lumps of flesh with a branch and brace them in the sandy ground around the fire so that they don't fall directly into the fire. It doesn't take long for the hot fire to begin its work and the meat begins to sizzle and create an enticing aroma.



@Tjf @moonblack Talia stayed mostly quiet through your discussions*. It was clear any sort of control that she thought she had over the situation was quickly gone. She could hold off one person with a sharp bit of metal, but two would be too much. However, that doesn't stop her from backing to a point where she can keep both of you in view and her makeshift spear is still ready. When asked if she had a better idea of what to do next, she frowns and her expression becomes a little morose. "I just want to go home, but I don't really think that's an option at this point. Especially since I don't have a home to go back to."




As you all proceed on your various antics, the meat on Kerri's campfire continues to cook and the delicious scent of cooking meat wafts over the ruined caravan. All of you are reminded of just how little you were given to eat and the lack of any real proper meal on the trip. A bite of bread was nothing compared to the memory of what a well-cooked piece of meat tasted like.

Well, this affected everyone, but Wilhelmina, because well...Vampire.


*Mostly due to my absence due to sleep, but eh...