Post by Tydan on Jun 26, 2010 3:40:44 GMT -5
(Just something i've been working up as a concept. And the basis of the roleplay setting I mentioned, I plan on setting it up. Figured I'd give you guys a taste.)
The streets whispered quietly. Leaves, loose debris and garbage skittered across and lifted in a whirling vortex in a corner hub, only to loose momentum and fall gently to the ground. Though, aside from the bristling of the wind and what it carried. There was no other noise.
The city streets were barren, other than the odd car or two, vacant stall and phone booth. It was empty, void of activity and the motion that used to be all those years ago. All was motionless now, the energy had long died out.
"Do you think its safe to move yet? I don't like it here. " a meek voice asked, brushing a nervous paw over his face and snout repeatedly.
There was no reply.
"Jor? Can we go? Please?" the voice whimpered again, the tone growing more desperate. "Just wait you idiot, we move when the leaves rustle again. It's not a long dash, all I ask is that you be ready when we do move."
Wiping the pophyrin from his eyes, Olli fidgeted and eyed the other end of the street, his own patience growing thin from their lack of movement. Olli and Jor were rats, most of what you'd find commonly picking away through a garbage bin. Or cleaved with a broken neck beneath the clamp of a rodent trap.
Though, there was much more to these often insignificant rodents, the fact that they spoke as clearly as a human would made it obvious. The wind picked up again, and as the leaves and debris rustled along the worn concrete and pavement the rats had scurried from one end of the street to the other. Their movement was concealed by the movement of leaves and the sound they created as their brittle surfaces scraped against the ground.
The two rats disappeared in a crack from the separating foundation of a large decaying brick structure. Once a library in its prime, it was now falling apart with windows caved in, supports crumbling and much of its decor stripped from its faces from either conflict or age.
"Do you really think its here, Jor? I really don't like the idea of risking my life for some… some… Hell, I don't even know what we're after. What are we after?" Olli asked. "Just some human mumbo-jumbo the Clannar requested, Its not our duty to question. Let's just get the damn thing and be on our way. I'm hungry."
Jor grunted a quiet squeak in protest as he noted Olli's fidgety nature. This one was new to city runs, that was obvious. He just couldn't understand why the Clannar would send this idiot with him, this wasn't exactly a safe job. Jor was wishing he had a Deimar to assist him, at least they had a head on their shoulders and wouldn't get themselves killed. Olli seemed more of a candidate for cat food than even a lowly scavenger for the clan.
Jor just shrugged. "The Clannar have their reasons." he thought to himself, continuing along the winding tunnel until he found the parting in the ceiling he was looking for. "Stop here, Olli." Jor said. He eased his head and paws through the crack for a moment, scanning the surroundings, and retreating back into the tunnel. "It seems clear. I don't smell cat piss or anything. How about you?" Olli hadn't even caught up to him until Jor turned to regard him. Obviously Jor wasn't impressed.
"Damn you move fast. Jor." Olli said, catching his breath. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just peek up through there, take a whiff and tell me what you smell. Two noses and four ears are better than none. The best way to survive here is to rely on each other and make no mistakes. You might pick up on something I might haven't. Now get to it." Jor barked before backing up from the hole.
Olli, while chittering a protest, stuck his nose through, did as he had told and retreated back to face his leader. "I… Er, I don't know. I just smell dust and old parchment."
"Then that should be good enough. Lets go."
The rats squeezed through the narrow opening and huddled close to the wall, it was an instinctual thing as they had better vision than their feral counterparts. It didn't matter, it was safer than running out in the open. With Jor in lead and Olli on the tail, they scurried along the side, pausing momentarily, then moving again as Jor scanned for details of interest.
"I'm looking for something marked with the numbers 6002 - 6502. It should either be a shelf or a book row, I want you to look for these if you can, but also keep your attention on scent. If you notice any change, squeak and head for a hiding place. I'm not taking any chances with the cats that plague this area." Jor said quietly as his head bobbed left and up as he searched. Olli simply nodded, pausing to sniff, wipe his snout or whatever to keep his paws busy.
Jor paused suddenly. "I think I found it, hold up here, keep an eye out for a moment longer."
"That didn't take long."
Before Olli could call out an acknowledgement Jor was already bounding up from one surface to another. A fallen book, the seat of a stool to a tabletop. And finally a long leap onto one of the many shelf surfaces of the long book racks. Jor was out of Olli's view now, but the rat could easily hear the skittering of claws along the laminated surface of the shelves. The noise continued as skittering turned to shuffling, and eventually a Whip-Thump! as something fell to the floor, kicking up a great deal of dust towards the waiting rat. "This should be it… Big and yellow and soft like they said it would be… Do you read, Olli?" Jor asked, "Uh, a little. Why?"
Jor upturned the flimsy book with the best of his ability. "What does this say?"
"Clockwork Mechanics, What would the Clannar want with that?"
"Hell if I know… Lets get back to the Colony, this is going to take a bit of work to get back."
Prologue
The streets whispered quietly. Leaves, loose debris and garbage skittered across and lifted in a whirling vortex in a corner hub, only to loose momentum and fall gently to the ground. Though, aside from the bristling of the wind and what it carried. There was no other noise.
The city streets were barren, other than the odd car or two, vacant stall and phone booth. It was empty, void of activity and the motion that used to be all those years ago. All was motionless now, the energy had long died out.
"Do you think its safe to move yet? I don't like it here. " a meek voice asked, brushing a nervous paw over his face and snout repeatedly.
There was no reply.
"Jor? Can we go? Please?" the voice whimpered again, the tone growing more desperate. "Just wait you idiot, we move when the leaves rustle again. It's not a long dash, all I ask is that you be ready when we do move."
Wiping the pophyrin from his eyes, Olli fidgeted and eyed the other end of the street, his own patience growing thin from their lack of movement. Olli and Jor were rats, most of what you'd find commonly picking away through a garbage bin. Or cleaved with a broken neck beneath the clamp of a rodent trap.
Though, there was much more to these often insignificant rodents, the fact that they spoke as clearly as a human would made it obvious. The wind picked up again, and as the leaves and debris rustled along the worn concrete and pavement the rats had scurried from one end of the street to the other. Their movement was concealed by the movement of leaves and the sound they created as their brittle surfaces scraped against the ground.
The two rats disappeared in a crack from the separating foundation of a large decaying brick structure. Once a library in its prime, it was now falling apart with windows caved in, supports crumbling and much of its decor stripped from its faces from either conflict or age.
"Do you really think its here, Jor? I really don't like the idea of risking my life for some… some… Hell, I don't even know what we're after. What are we after?" Olli asked. "Just some human mumbo-jumbo the Clannar requested, Its not our duty to question. Let's just get the damn thing and be on our way. I'm hungry."
Jor grunted a quiet squeak in protest as he noted Olli's fidgety nature. This one was new to city runs, that was obvious. He just couldn't understand why the Clannar would send this idiot with him, this wasn't exactly a safe job. Jor was wishing he had a Deimar to assist him, at least they had a head on their shoulders and wouldn't get themselves killed. Olli seemed more of a candidate for cat food than even a lowly scavenger for the clan.
Jor just shrugged. "The Clannar have their reasons." he thought to himself, continuing along the winding tunnel until he found the parting in the ceiling he was looking for. "Stop here, Olli." Jor said. He eased his head and paws through the crack for a moment, scanning the surroundings, and retreating back into the tunnel. "It seems clear. I don't smell cat piss or anything. How about you?" Olli hadn't even caught up to him until Jor turned to regard him. Obviously Jor wasn't impressed.
"Damn you move fast. Jor." Olli said, catching his breath. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just peek up through there, take a whiff and tell me what you smell. Two noses and four ears are better than none. The best way to survive here is to rely on each other and make no mistakes. You might pick up on something I might haven't. Now get to it." Jor barked before backing up from the hole.
Olli, while chittering a protest, stuck his nose through, did as he had told and retreated back to face his leader. "I… Er, I don't know. I just smell dust and old parchment."
"Then that should be good enough. Lets go."
The rats squeezed through the narrow opening and huddled close to the wall, it was an instinctual thing as they had better vision than their feral counterparts. It didn't matter, it was safer than running out in the open. With Jor in lead and Olli on the tail, they scurried along the side, pausing momentarily, then moving again as Jor scanned for details of interest.
"I'm looking for something marked with the numbers 6002 - 6502. It should either be a shelf or a book row, I want you to look for these if you can, but also keep your attention on scent. If you notice any change, squeak and head for a hiding place. I'm not taking any chances with the cats that plague this area." Jor said quietly as his head bobbed left and up as he searched. Olli simply nodded, pausing to sniff, wipe his snout or whatever to keep his paws busy.
Jor paused suddenly. "I think I found it, hold up here, keep an eye out for a moment longer."
"That didn't take long."
Before Olli could call out an acknowledgement Jor was already bounding up from one surface to another. A fallen book, the seat of a stool to a tabletop. And finally a long leap onto one of the many shelf surfaces of the long book racks. Jor was out of Olli's view now, but the rat could easily hear the skittering of claws along the laminated surface of the shelves. The noise continued as skittering turned to shuffling, and eventually a Whip-Thump! as something fell to the floor, kicking up a great deal of dust towards the waiting rat. "This should be it… Big and yellow and soft like they said it would be… Do you read, Olli?" Jor asked, "Uh, a little. Why?"
Jor upturned the flimsy book with the best of his ability. "What does this say?"
"Clockwork Mechanics, What would the Clannar want with that?"
"Hell if I know… Lets get back to the Colony, this is going to take a bit of work to get back."
