first verse Augury: Ten of the Void

[+Sorana she/her]

 

4 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“Jyzny will not be as tolerating of aggression,” the formally dressed man said.

Sagitta shrugged. Whoever this Jyzny was, they weren't her problem. She had a bargain with Price not with anybody else. Still the words of the soldier still hung in the air. Slave.

She sighed, silently looked outside watched the countryside move past the window of the carriage. Price had closed his eyes, meditated and so she stayed quiet as well. Slave. His slave. What had she gotten herself into? All this talk about punishment, about being lenient. She had agreed to cooperate, there was no need for all these threats.

Biting her teeth together she steeled herself. She wouldn't give up. Stand strong, stand forever. Never give up. Changing her life, yes, but not crawling in the dirt in front of them. Never.

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by Sorana

[AonEne he/him]

@BringerofShadows

[BringerofShadows she/her]

On 8/12/2019 at 8:16 PM, AonEne said:

Gati blinked at the sudden appearance of the soldiers on the other side of the tent. That's annoying, she mused. She wasn't particularly worried about them, as she knew she, Tion, and Truth weren't in danger from soldiers like this, but she'd have to be careful about what she said...though Tion had noted that Entropy had been telling them sensitive information. Hmm. She nodded a quick thanks at Tion and Negated the effects of his Power on her, returning her view of the tent walls to normal. The way they stared was creeping her out.

"How are you blocking him?" she asked conversationally. "And by the way, if you think we're a threat to humanity, then why have you - as a goddess - joined the war? Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?" Gati had never cared much for it herself - she'd even considered trying to discreetly end it a few times, but usually wasn't able to get up enough willpower to actually interfere with anything big. Maybe the Augury will change that.

Entropy mentally reached out to Tion’s power. The part that was affecting her, specifically. It broke, returning the tent walls. “I am the goddess of Entropy, which means a I break things. Lots of things.” Victoria said. “As for the contradiction, I believe I think I could handle the power, or just pass it on to someone…More capable.” 

[AonEne he/him]

11 minutes ago, BringerofShadows said:

Entropy mentally reached out to Tion’s power. The part that was affecting her, specifically. It broke, returning the tent walls. “I am the goddess of Entropy, which means a I break things. Lots of things.” Victoria said. “As for the contradiction, I believe I think I could handle the power, or just pass it on to someone…More capable.” 

"Mm, yes, that would make sense," Gati agreed. "But what do you mean when you say you could handle the power or pass it off - which power are you referring to?"

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“You’ll understand soon enough. Anyways, if you and Truth leave, we won’t have to…Make a mess of things.”

[AonEne he/him]

"What about understanding now?" Gati settled herself on a cot. "I don't know about Truth, but I'm content where I am."

***

Izzy looked around nervously, then attempted to start up a conversation. "So, um, what's godhood like?"

@all the gods who are still in the meeting place, and anyone who wants to jump in now

[I think I am here. he/him]

11 hours ago, Sorana said:

Biting her teeth together she steeled herself. She wouldn't give up. Stand strong, stand forever. Never give up. Changing her life, yes, but not crawling in the dirt in front of them. Never.

After two and a half hours of silence, with the exception of the crazy man occasionally rambling some random fact and the sound of hooves clattering across the ground underneath them, the carriage stopped. They were only half of the way across the trip to the next city they’d be testing at, but the carriage driver had insisted his horses get food.

So they stopped at a small farming town that overlooked a vast countryside. Price hadn’t been to these places very often, it had always seemed unruly, and besides, research and development here was practically non-existent. The town-folk were simple people, they ate, they slept, and they sent people to serve their nation in the army.

“We are stopping to eat,” Price said for all of the subjects. He was hungry now, too.

“We’re also stopping so that the horses can be fed, and because we are picking up another’s subject to take with us.”

Looking outside they could see a small crowd of farmers looking at the carriage questioningly, but otherwise resuming their regular duties. The carriage had entered the town, and had stopped right next to the town’s marketplace, which brokered the farm.

[+Sorana she/her]

15 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

Looking outside they could see a small crowd of farmers looking at the carriage questioningly, but otherwise resuming their regular duties. The carriage had entered the town, and had stopped right next to the town’s marketplace, which brokered the farm.

 

Subject. Sagitta wordlessly opened the door of the carriage, climbed outside. Another subject. When they were so afraid of them, that they weren't even allowed to talk - why add another subject?

She looked at Price, forced herself to stay politely.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

Her was steady, but thankfully polite, only a light quaver telling about her inner turmoil. Her anger had fled her somewhere during the last hours. She was easily angry, but as easily she calmed down again, rarely held a grudge for long. Now, that he would probably decline, eat with the other guy she was tethering between empty and disappointed, was tired. The day had been exhausting and while she put up a strong facade - she'd almost died a few days ago. She had been on the verge of collapse a few hours ago. The run, she would never have made it, not in her current condition, but sleeping while they stared at her - it went against every instinct of her, against year long training.

[I think I am here. he/him]

18 minutes ago, Sorana said:

She looked at Price, forced herself to stay politely.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

The group spilled outside of the carriage and onto the dirt ground of the town. The formally dressed man gripped the crazy man’s shoulders to stop him from running off, and the other woman inside the carriage stood independently outside, looking around. Price himself heaved himself from his seat and into the sudden light, looking to Sagitta.

She wanted to talk. A part of Price was afraid. She had been on the verge of threatening him before, and now that they were in a town where she could run away into, she wanted to talk to him alone? The events that might have happened played in his mind. But another part of him knew that was irrational.

“Okay,” he said, walking a little bit away from the others in the group, so that they couldn’t hear. He looked to Sagitta. “What do you want to talk about.”

[+Sorana she/her]

1 minute ago, I think I am here. said:

“Okay,” he said, walking a little bit away from the others in the group, so that they couldn’t hear. He looked to Sagitta. “What do you want to talk about.”

Sagitta followed him to the side, limped slightly. He was faster than she, and she grit her teeth against the pain, picked up some speed. She thought about her next words, about a way to - giving up she simply shook her head.

"Slave?"

Her voice broke when her terror at the prospect took hold of her and she cleared her throat.

"So I'm your slave, expected to serve at night as well? Someone for you to punish, when you please? Expected to crawl in the dirt."

She didn't look at him, most of the time, only looked up at her last words.

[I think I am here. he/him]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

She didn't look at him, most of the time, only looked up at her last words.

Price’s eyes widened a little bit and he quickly shook his head. Was this why she had been so worried?

“No, no, not at all. Those soldiers, they don’t know of the tests. They don’t know what we do with people like you, so they make up their own stories.”

He reddened slightly and looked down. “And no one is expected to do anything at night, except sleep. Tühine abolished slavery 55 years ago, with the exception of Cahayans, of course.” He looked back up at her.

“Soldiers just - they try to fill the gaps with things they don’t know. I haven’t chained you, and if you’ll notice the others in the carriage with us are free to walk around the market, we are not restricting you.”

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

“Soldiers just - they try to fill the gaps with things they don’t know. I haven’t chained you, and if you’ll notice the others in the carriage with us are free to walk around the market, we are not restricting you.”

The truth, but not the whole truth. She could feel it, knew he was keeping a part from her.

"Price, please."

She said, opened her hands in front of her, tried to move him to stop evading, and simply be honest.

"That soldier was so sure that you pay me, it can't be a sole rumor."

Her hand made a vague gesture towards the carriage, shivering slightly.

"And that man spoke about punishment. There is no need for punishment, when both sides adhere to a bargain. You asked me to stop the word play, so do it yourself. What is this, the tests, the research. If you don't call it slave, what is it then? A subject? A number without feeling?"

Because that was how he'd been talking about whoever they wanted to pick up.

"I'm no truth instinct, I'm not clever like you are, but I'm not stupid either. Just tell me what is going on."

=========================

Quote

I've done some worldbuilding around Ta'e'ilo. It works for Ene, so I figured I can post it here, for everybody to take a look at it. Feedback ist welcome.

Spoiler

Ta’e’ilo is a country located in the west of Hoperaa. It’s stretching along the coast, so the climate is wet and mild. It rains regularly, temperatures are between 10°C/ 50F in winter and 25°C/77°C in summer. The countryside is dominated by hills and smaller mountains, with lots of steep cliffs along the coast.

Politically the country is ruled by a monarch, and while their king is loved and respected, Ta’e’ilo ist mostly governed by a council consisting of the leaders of the clans. These chieftains are basically lords, although the prefer to be called ‘elder’. They are the backbone of Ta’e’ilo and rarely anything happens without them noticing. Ta’e’iloan society is completely structured. The king, then the elders, then the leaders of the different households, each belonging to a clan, the hierarchy runs down to the stableboy. While there are thousands of little conflicts between the different families, the moment an outsiders tries to step in they present a united front.

Many of these struggles are centered around honor and what Ta’e’iloans perceive as actions that impede, or harm their honor. Basically everybody has the right to challenge anybody of the same standing. Not standing to your word is considered a grave insult, as is letting your family or your country down.

Ever since the nomads started to try to invade Ta’e’ilo the military structure or Ta’e’ilo changed. Before every family was responsible to train their youngsters, and almost every child received at least some kind of training. The quality was different from family to family, and regularly talented children were sent to another branch of the family to receive the proper training there, when their own household wasn’t able to offer a fitting training. Over the time within a clan the different families tended to specialize themselves. There were those focusing on trading and languages and those focusing more on the military aspect.

The war on the northern border and the raid on the Ta’e’iloan settlements had a large impact on the society itself. The L’Nio family who was controlling the lands to the north has lost almost all of their influence, due to the fact, that they aren’t able to protect their kin from the invaders on their own. Additionally many fled the destroyed settlements, leaving nothing behind but old fields full of crops and ruins. This movement created a stripe of land, which is in fact ruled by the armies who set up camp there.

The Ta’e’iloan army is lead by the warchief, a brother to the king and one of his most trusted advisors. The regiments themselves are named after animals like bears or wolves. Horses are rare in Ta’e’ilo so they don’t really have a cavalry. The heart of the army is the heavy infantry, which is a frightening sight with their plate armor and their long, two-handed swords. Depending on their clan some of them prefer to wield and axe or a hammer, but all weapons are heavy or long enough that you need to hands to wield them properly. Most members of the heavy infantry are part of the large clans ruling the country, as their equipment is expensive. The light infantry is usually placed at the sides, they are using shorter weapons like swords or axes, often combined with a wooden shield. Contrasting the heavy infantry they wear maybe some leather armor, but usually none at all. They tend to belong to smaller families, or sidelines of the larger ones. Additionally there are archers, who are a wild mix of all social stands. Archers aren’t trained specifically for the war, originally they joined the army as hunters, but now are used more and more in battle as well.

The camp consists of different districts, fitting the different companies and regiments. Additionally there is a large baggage, consisting of merchants and artisans, but also whores and a clever man even restored one of the ruins into an inn.

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

7 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Because that was how he'd been talking about whoever they wanted to pick up.

"I'm no truth instinct, I'm not clever like you are, but I'm not stupid either. Just tell me what is going on."

Price fumbled and averted looking into her eyes, unsure what to say. Unsure how Sagitta would react. So he took a little step backwards and gestured his hands in frustration, the words flooding out.

“Sometimes testers blackmail the subjects. Sometimes they trap the subjects with contracts - they are these documents, which you mark with your blood and are like a promise you have to keep by law. And of course no one wants to break the law because of the police.

“And sometimes, becuase it is all underground, the testers do horrible things to subjects, turn them to slaves in the name of science but not all of them, Sagitta. I’m not like that! It’s just...” he closed his eyes.

“Some rumours like that spread around to the soldiers. And some are true, and some aren’t.”

He stopped, and very hesitantly looked up to her.

[+Sorana she/her]

52 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Some rumours like that spread around to the soldiers. And some are true, and some aren’t.”

He stopped, and very hesitantly looked up to her.

Sagitta thought about his words for a while. It fit, fit what she'd seen, the state of her chamber. How the other one acted. And it finally fit the reputation of Tühine. She suspected that he had expected her to be disgusted, but if she was honest, she had seen worse things. After a battle when the blood ran hot, when the enemy was slain - they used contracts to bind their subjects, soldiers just used pure force to get what they wanted to. Slowly she lifted her fingers, held up two of them.

"Two things. We will talk about our bargain again. Add something about my free will and harm regarding my person. You can gladly think of something, but we will do that, before we head back to the carriage."

Her eyes stayed on his, calmly, relaxed.

"And two, you will tell me about the place we're going to. How those working there are. How they expect you to act. How they expect me to act."

"If these aren't acceptable to you, then I will leave now. We agreed on food for tests. You had some tests, I had some food. If you insist I can give the cloths back. But I won't be your slave, nor will I risk ending up in a position where someone else treats me like that. We have a bargain. And I will keep it. But,"

her voice grew intense.

"I want to make one thing clear. We have a bargain. It doesn't extend to anybody else. If someone else wants something from me, then they can bargain as well."

Edited August 17, 2019 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

12 minutes ago, Sorana said:

her voice grew intense.

"I want to make one thing clear. We have a bargain. It doesn't extend to anybody else. If someone else wants something from me, then they can bargain as well."

Price nodded. She seemed unphased by the revelation, insisting that the bargain be reworked. That was fine, Price hadn’t even offered her a contract yet.

“You asked why that soldier said what he did, that’s why,” he said, meeting her stare.

“That does not mean everyone is like that, nor does that mean testers are all evil,” he said adamantly, because he felt he’d ruined her perception of him.

“It is like the rumours you hear about any group. Nobles, beggars, soldiers. The actions of a few do not dictate who we are as testers, nor does it dictate the entire initiative.”

He looked to her. “Some abuse their power. Like with everywhere else.”

[+Sorana she/her]

3 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

He looked to her. “Some abuse their power. Like with everywhere else.”

"I know."

Sagitta smiled at him, her exhaustion showing in her eyes, her face.

"I've seen hundreds die, because of a decision of some officer. But that doesn't mean all officers are bad. All officers will get you killed. Some because you are the unit that has to be sacrificed or that has a dangerous place to hold, some due to sheer incompetence. I'm not implying, that you will get me killed, but in end it's the same for me. All of you will do some tests. But if I can choose who will oversee them, who is in charge -"

She shrugged.

"Then I choose someone I think is competent enough to think about his actions."

[I think I am here. he/him]

20 minutes ago, Sorana said:

She shrugged.

"Then I choose someone I think is competent enough to think about his actions."

She knew that not all of them were evil. And she thought Price was competent.

“Thanks,” he said. Maybe he had overestimated how she would feel about the revelation. It just hurt him every time a soldier looked at him a different way, like he was an evil man who fed his subjects poison or something. They looked at him like he was less, that while they served on the front line he was doing inhumane things to their own people. Price just wanted to help Tühine. Like any other man who’d grown up hearing the glory of battle, seeing the nationalist murals.

He looked to the side. “Do you want to follow me to the marketplace? It’s where I have to pick up the new subject.”

[+Sorana she/her]

30 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

He looked to the side. “Do you want to follow me to the marketplace? It’s where I have to pick up the new subject.”

"Sure."

Sagitta looked around, started to walk towards the marketplace.

"But we will talk about our bargain?"

She asked him, fear creeping into her voice again. He'd said it weren't all of them, but she had no way to make sure he wasn't keeping something from her again. She trusted him, to a certain degree, but she did. Maybe she could learn from him. Another way to serve your country. To fight without standing in blood each time. Not exactly what he was doing, but he did serve, only differently. And that meant, she could maybe do that as well one day.

"It's not because of you."

She explained.

"It's because of those few black sheep, that might want to take advantage of me. I don't know your ways, I can speak the language, but all of this is foreign to me. If I have something I can refer to, it will protect me to a certain degree as well. Give me some security."

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

4 hours ago, Sorana said:

She explained.

"It's because of those few black sheep, that might want to take advantage of me. I don't know your ways, I can speak the language, but all of this is foreign to me. If I have something I can refer to, it will protect me to a certain degree as well. Give me some security."

“Yes, we will talk about our bargain,” Price said and walked past bustling stalls. The marketplace was filled with yelling townspeople trying to sell things to each other. One was yelling about wooden soldier figurines and another was yelling about bread. A couple were competing over selling Tühinine ‘lucky charms’.

As he approached the meeting point, he saw another man carry over the new subject. Except unlike the other subjects, this one was bound by his wrists behind his back. He had a black eye, and he was carefully led into Price’s view.

“I found him in my farm,” the man said, and Price nodded, looking at the captive subject with hatred in his eyes.

A Cahayan.

[+Sorana she/her]

2 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“I found him in my farm,” the man said, and Price nodded, looking at the captive subject with hatred in his eyes.

A Cahayan.

"Can you speak Cahayan?"

She asked Price and looked at the captive. Bound, slightly injured. Otherwise fine. A slave. War. It was easy to forget, but this was war. No battlefield, but war. Feeling slightly ill she looked the man over. A deserteur. His muscles, the way he held himself. Not long on the run.

She stayed close to Price, he was the only known number in this sea of variables. She would rely on him for now. Observe learn. Find a new path. A way home. Maybe she could go back to her mother, help with the business. Blood. So much blood on her hands. Subdued she stood behind him, glad that she had someone she could follow, someone who knew what was going on. It had never been her job to think about plans. Following orders suited her just fine.

[BringerofShadows she/her]

Quote

At this point, we could create a separate thread for Sorana and Itiah. 

 

12 hours ago, AonEne said:

"What about understanding now?" Gati settled herself on a cot. "I don't know about Truth, but I'm content where I am."

***

Izzy looked around nervously, then attempted to start up a conversation. "So, um, what's godhood like?"

@all the gods who are still in the meeting place, and anyone who wants to jump in now

Victoria sighed. “I’ve decided to keep that to myself,” she said curtly. “As for leaving, I really don’t want…to force you two out. I ask again, can you please leave.”

[Archer he/him]

Quote

Yeah, Sorana and Itiah are really freaking prolific. It's amazing. Great job, you two. 

The General’s Camp. The Infirmary Tent. Noonish.

“Oh, Entropy,” Tion chirped, taking a step forward. “You are welcome to try concealing your plans from us, but there is one thing that you can not keep to yourself.”

The God of Sensation moved past Negation, closing the distance between himself and Victoria.

“And that is,” he continued softly, “your stench.”

One of the soldiers listening in snickered, and Tion paused to listen to the sound of his commanding officer whacking him upside the head. The man’s metal helmet made a little humorous ping! noise when it happened; further proof, Tion thought, that metal armour was an overrated idea. Waging wars was so much more fun when the most anyone ever brought to the battlefield was a pair of shin-guards and a big stick. The part where they passed the ball around was funny also.

Having carefully placed himself within spitting range of his foe, Tion continued to rambunctiously undermine the diplomatic efforts of Negation. As he prattled on, he started surreptitiously diving his hands into his various coat pockets, feeling out their contents, searching for a specific item he knew was in one of them.

“I pity any man who has to spend a prolonged period of time with you. I was in your presence for what, a day, and look what happened! You are a danger to everyone around you, Entropy. Worse, by insisting on engaging in such shenanigans at this vital juncture in our planet’s history, you are a danger to all of Hopearaa.”

Tion’s eyes flashed gold for an instant, so fast that an observer might have thought it a trick of the light. He delved into the portion of his mind where his Power resided, splitting his focus. He could hear himself continue speaking, but his voice took on a more practiced cadence, like a comedian telling a familiar joke: technically engaging, but ever so slightly robotic. Meanwhile, he began to tap into the rhythm of his Power, that second, subtle heartbeat of magic pulsing through his veins.

It felt, normal. Weaker, perhaps, than it had been in past, but it was closely attuned to his thoughts and reflexes at the moemnt. He knew that if he reached out to it right then, he would have been able to channel it as easily as he might flex a muscle.

So why isn’t she responding?

“Your aggressive behaviour can not be permitted to continue. It’s outrageous, and I think we all know what’s to blame. Your thirst for power has blinded you, made you rely on these ‘soldiers’ to see. Their views taint yours, limit yours. They can’t observe the bigger picture as we can. Have you ever thought of all the things you’re missing because you outsource your senses to your scouts and spies? Sensation’s Smile lady, you’re knee deep in palace intrigue while the real world slips by your notice. Now is not the time to play politics!”

It was as if the Power was being blocked somehow. Tion kept trying to flare the coloured threads of Entropy’s aura, the dancing waves of light that he could still easily see, but they refused to respond. It was like pumping electricity into a rock. No matter how much effort he expended, nothing happened.

Almost as if, he mused, thinking back to the last time he had encountered such difficulties, the connection has been severed!

“What’s worse is that it seems you’ve been losing sight of your priorities, the priorities the four of us are supposed to share. Empires and kingdoms are nice and all, but we promised ourselves we’d never sell our secrets for such fleeting gains as station. For our own safety, we can never let them know who we are or what we do. They’d come after us if they knew, They’d feel morally obliged to. It’s never worth the risk.”

Tion began to study the General’s aura with interest. In past, once he saw someone’s soul, coming back to manipulate it later was as easy as putting a name to a familiar face. But he ignored the profile he already had in his memories for the goddess, treating her as a new individual. He took a snapshot of her, creating a detailed impression of her mental and emotional markers. Once he felt he had forged a new connection to her aura, he attacked, lashing out with an aggressive invitation to see the everything about the world as terrifying.

Then he did it again. A quick mental impression to give himself a target, followed by a surge of Power, this time anger inducing.

Again, to promote nausea.  And again, to suggest being tired. And again, and again, and again he assaulted her. Tion was hungry for revenge.

“And yet here we are,” he continued, showing no verbal signs of the mental strain he was putting on himself. “In a camp you vehemently claim lordship over. You’re really willing to fight us over a handful of horses and a few dozen humans? They’re going to die soon anyway, I don’t understand why you would you would side with them and their petty little goals.”

The God of Sensation diverted some of his Power to altering the waiting soldier’s perception of the sound waves coming from the tent to a greater extent. Forgoing subtly, he altered his voice to their ears, making him sound like Entropy, their commending officer.

Ghanderflaffle! his General Victoria voice cursed in German. Soldiers, get in here and seize them. Don’t let them get away or I’ll make you wear mismatched socks in public while I read the character description scenes from young adult romance novels at you – as you slowly dissolve in a pool of simmering acid!

His right hand finally found what he was looking for in one of his upper coat pockets. He clutched the handle of the object, and slowly began pulling it out.

“I do not believe that you are worthy of the power you hold, Entropy, little though it may be. In fact, I would like to invoke a fo- look out!”

In one slick motion, Tion fully withdrew the knife he had stashed in his pocket and threw it dexterously in the direction of Truth’s chest. He then stumbled backwards, flailing his arms as he tried to regain his balance. Outside of the tent, the hurried movement of soldiers could be heard, headed for the entrance flap.

Of course, before he did this, Tion fired off blasts of Power at Negation and Truth, intending to make for them personal illusions so that, to their eyes, it would seem as if Entropy had suddenly reached forward, grabbed the knife from his pocket sheath, and whipped it with malicious intent at Truth’s heart, pushing Tion backwards in the process. He started really selling it too, grunting in pain as he stumbled, a shocked look on his face.

“No!” he screamed, watching the blade fly. The tent lit up with flashing red lights, and an annoyingly loud alarm bell sound began to clang in everyone’s ears. Tion gasped, the perfect image of a god whose Powers were reacting to his surprise and agony at seeing an attempted murder, conveniently also making it difficult for anyone to speak to one another and offer an explanation about what the Gati had just happened. It was utter chaos in the tent, which was just how Tion liked it.

[I think I am here. he/him]

Quote

Thanks

Also, where exactly is Entropy’s General Camp? Somewhere in Tühine? It could be cool if Price and Sagitta met them, it could change connect the two groups we have so far.

 

16 hours ago, Sorana said:

“Can you speak Cahayan?"

“No,” Price replied and looked to the prisoner again. Finally, a subject who could be subjected to more dangerous tests. It wasn’t inhumane, Cahaya had done terrible things to Tühine in the war, so it was perfectly fair that Tühine retaliate. Cahayans were enemies of war, and Price hated them with a burning passion.

“Can you?” He asked Sagitta. She was from Ta’e’ilo, that bordered Cahaya. He looked to the farmer holding the Cahayan hostage and gave him some golden coins. Not worth much in the cities, but valued deeply in the countryside towns.

“Your service to Tühine will not go unnoticed,” he said and gestured for the farmer to follow them back to the carriage. He looked around the marketplace stalls with curiosity.

“I suppose you don’t want to buy anything?” He asked her half-sarcastically. “A souvenir for your time at Tühine?”

[+Sorana she/her]

"Yes. My mother insisted that we learn both Tühine and Cahayan."

Sagitta watched him walk back to the carriage, tried to comprehend how his mood changed like that. Hate, that was one thing, but why ask her after a souvenir? He knew that she owned nothing, not even the cloths she was wearing. So why ask? She decided to skip the question. It was phrased strangely, as if they were about to leave Tühine soon. He'd changed. Ever since he saw that prisoner he'd changed. All the hate. She knew the hate, had lost it somewhere on a battlefield. It was easy to hate another people, blame them for the attacks. But in the end there was only one party to blame, and it was rarely the low man.

Falling back she looked around the village, how people talked, children playing. They looked carefree. The village was strange, not even a low wall to protect its sides, the houses small. So different from home where almost every settlement had some kind of protection. Still it was nice, calming to see them like this. How quiet they were. How calm. Peaceful. Slowly she followed Price over, interested in how he would handle the prisoner, if his face would change further.

[I think I am here. he/him]

9 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Falling back she looked around the village, how people talked, children playing. They looked carefree. The village was strange, not even a low wall to protect its sides, the houses small. So different from home where almost every settlement had some kind of protection. Still it was nice, calming to see them like this. How quiet they were. How calm. Peaceful. Slowly she followed Price over, interested in how he would handle the prisoner, if his face would change further.

They approached the carriage, where the horse rider was feeding his horses some carrots, but the other three who hadn’t been travelling with them were not in sight. It didn’t really matter, they would come to the carriage later.

He turned to Sagitta, and then looked at the Cahayan who was being hauled behind them. Some children who were playing around looked to the man with ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’, a couple spitting on him. His were wide, perhaps he knew the rumours of what Tühine did with Cahayans.

Taking out a sheet of parchment Price handed it to Sagitta. “Could you please read that out to him?”

The parchment read:

You have been captured by the United Monarchy of Tühine. Do not attempt to escape or evade your capture, such actions will be dealt with using harsh penalties. As a Cahayan prisoner of war, you will be kept in military hands for however long as the base wills. A trial is not necessary. You have no rights in Tühine, and according to the War Addendum of Mercury you are to be considered equal to if not less than cattle in legal terms.