Militia Dungeon Part 1

Continues from the 'Meet Luco' story. Can Raz, Fargo, and Rorgan rescue Derrin from the clutches of the Militia?

With no sunlight it is hard to say exactly how much time has passed. There is little air flow down here, perhaps by design error or made that way, so the air smells old, stuffy. There are no other prisoners in the open metal grate cells (apparently the militia are not too keen about taking survivors after their raids) It's hard to say if there are any prisoners behind the wooden doors down the hall but there is at least SOMEONE at the far end of the hall playing a soft melody that echoes through out the prison. Guards frequent the hallway between cells randomly about every half hour to an hour.

Raziel paces back and forth across the cell, like, well...a caged beast. And he's been doing it for /hours/. He's not good at lock picking, or stealth, or playing nice with psychotic anti-vermin zealots...so the plan of action is pretty clear, once he gets out of this cell!

The sound of paw steps eventually begins to echo through the stone hall, and before long, Rorgan jogs into view, stopping at the cell where Raziel and Fargo are caged. He takes a deep breath, looking around to make sure no other guards are around before whispering, "Fargo!" As best he can without the sound echoing.

Fargo for his part has been trying his best to stay out of the wildcat's way. The rumors of the Mossflower Butcher are limited at best to those who live out side the major cities and live in the smaller settlements and encampments of the woods. Every now and again beasts go missing, and some turn up as if they were attacked by wild animals. He doesn't know IF the wildcat is the Mossflower Butcher but it's better to error on the side of safty and stay off his bad side, especially since they are shackled together. The weasel's ears shoot up at the mention of his name, "Rorgan! By the light am I glad to see you!"

Raziel stops abruptly, and turns to face the otter - a scowl crossing his muzzle as he sees the beast in militia garb. "YOU! YOU SOLD ME OUT!!!" The wildcat is /not/ happy, and he wouldn't think Rorgan the type...but he can't think of any other explanation. "Oh, death to the vermin, is that it?! Well, I apologize for not living up to your high standards!"

Rorgan winces, holding up his paws. "Shhh! Just lower your voice Raziel, and let me explain! I'm here fer a different reason than wot yore thinkin'." He looks around cautiously, lowering his own voice and crouching by the bars. "Listen, I'm riskin' me hide bein' down here in the first place, but I'm doin' my best t' keep you guys alive."

Fargo nods, "Right we are actually..." he stops. There is a noise from the top of hallway leading into the dungeons. It sounds like a single beast pushing a trolly down the stone made hallway. The weasel already nervous beyond reason jumps a little at the sound.

Raziel is somewhat placated by the otter's answer - though he wouldn't put it past Luco to lay an elaborate trap like this. Then again, the wildcat is already trapped, so...what is there to lose? The feline lowers his voice, and growls, "You had best not be lying. I'm a whisker's breadth away from becoming the Butcher they so want me to be..." He steps away from the bars as the sound of the cart draws nearer.

Rorgan looks to the side, his eyes widening as the sound comes closer and closer. Running silently down to the far end of the tunnel, he crouches in the corner, hoping his black fur and and dark clothing will help him stay out of sight.

The sound of the wheels of the cart grows ever closer to the dungeons. The cart is being pushed by a hedgehog dressed in a brown wool coat. The cart has a silver platter on the top from which the smell of cooked food is emanating. The cart bearing moves the cart passed the prisoners, heading for the last cell at the end of the hallway. The hedgehog does not seem to notice the otter at first glance

Raziel watches the headgehog with disdain, glaring through the bars at him. But he can't really do much...and being shackled to this weasel is really getting on his nerves!

Rorgan's paw slowly moves to one of the daggers at his belt, his eyes narrowing as he silently watches the hedgehog. He is quite unwilling to kill the hedgehog unless he is sighted. The otter doesn't quite have an excuse for why he is sitting in a corner down in the jail area.

The hedgehog grows ever closer to Rorgan and his makeshift hiding spot. The small push cart bounces every so often against the uneven path until it collides with the door at the end of the hall. "Oh blast...not again." The hedgehog mutters. He stumbles around the cart until he finds the door and bangs on it three times with his fist. The music immidietly stops. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket the beast puts them up to his nose and squints at them until he finds the right one. Moving closer to the door he unlocks it and pushes the door open and pulls the cart in. A voice from inside says, "Good morning Jasper." before the door closes behind the hedgehog.

Raziel tries to look down the hall, but these stupid bars are in the way! And it doesn't help that the weasel is on the far side of the cell, and the shackles only reach so far. But, he does't hear any yelling, stabbing, or falling, so he assumes Rorgan was not discovered.

Rorgan sighs, standing back up and walking over to the cell, trying to control his breathing. "Listen, I'm here t' save a mate o' mine that may or may not be related t' me, but I have t' get Fargo out and I can't rightly leave you here."

Fargo grabs the bars of the cell, "And exactly how do we plan to do that? I can probably pick the lock of the cell but, escaping the cell is easy part compared with getting past the legion of militia beasts outside." The plump weasel looks worried now, "And there is no telling when Luco is going to come interrogate us...or" gulp "just have us killed."

Raziel blinks, and keeps his voice at a loud whisper. "I should hope so, Rorgan! These beasts think I killed dozens of woodlanders in cold blood! And you..." He turns to the weasel, "If you can get us out of these shackles, and pick the lock, I suggest you do it /now/. We'll worry about the fighting when that time comes."

Rorgan hesitates, looking around again. The otter looks quite worried as well. His eyes are wide with borderline fear shining in them at what is at stake and what all is being staked on his success.

Fargo reaches into his vest and opens up a secret pocket. He smiles when he pulls out a single lockpick. "Everyone always underestimates the fat beast." The weasels tone grows more serious now. "Problem is, I only have one. If it breaks...that's it. So, do you want me to try the shackles or the door first?" he asks the wild cat.

Raziel grumbles, "We can't very well leave if the door isn't open... But I /suggest/ you make sure it it doesn't break." The cat's still playing the fact that the weasel believes him utterly mad. A little intimidation goes a long way...

Rorgan sighs, stepping back. "Wotever yore going' t' do, I suggest you do it quick afore somebeast comes back," He hisses to the weasel, his mind still struggling to think of a reason as to why he would be attempting to lead the prisoners out. Plus there was Derrin, and he had already determined that he would be leaving with his friend, or he would die.

The weasel fiddles with the lock for a while yet, "Hey, I think I almost..." SNAP. Fargo's eyes go wide. The weasel gulps. "Um...."

Raziel growls, and grabs the weasel by the scruff of the neck. "That sound had better not be what I think it was..." The wildcat literally can't bear to be locked up. It's driving him mad! He's really, really close to snapping...and he's only been in here a few hours.

At that moment, the sound of quick pawsteps echo through the tunnel, and before Rorgan can react, Toran runs into the tunnel, looking worn out and looking behind him. He breathes a sigh of relief after a moment. "That was too close..."

Fargo begins to plead with the crazy looking wild cat. "Gah! Don't hurt me! Please it wasn't my fault!" The weasel looks like he is about to go out of his mind with fear. Heck with Luco, the weasel is imagining what the wild cat is going to do to him. Vivid images of his remains splattered across the walls and floor.

Raziel is about to explain to the weasel how much it really /is/ his fault, when there is an unexpected arrival. But this one doesn't look like militia... "What's going on here?!" The weasel is safe...for now.

Toran looks up to the side just noticing the wildcat. Looking at Rorgan, he asks, "And who is this?" Rorgan leads Toran over to the bars. "Toran, this is Raziel. Raziel, this is the beast that's helping us hopefully save yer hide, so be polite."

The weasel enjoys his reprieve, how ever short lived it is. "T-Toran? H-how did you get..." Fargo shakes his head. It doesn't matter how the fox got in the important thing is that he is HERE, NOW, to save them. Hopefully. "Toran. Can you do something about the lock, maybe find some keys or..." The weasel pauses again. The music has started up again. "Rorgan...you took care of the hedgehog...right?"

Raziel blinks. "/Hopefully/? Such confidence..." The wildcat really is at the end of his rope, and all he really wants to do is go TEAR LUCO TO SHREDS. "When the music starts back up, Raziel's whiskers twitch, and he nearly has a meltdown. "No, weasel, I don't think so..."

Toran had, by this point, turned his cloak from earlier inside out to now be a stark black, but even he knows there's not much of a way out of this situation. Rorgan, however, grips the fox's arm and pushes him against the wall across from the cell, his right paw drawing a dagger and pressing it agains Toran's throat. "What are you doing?!" Hisses the fox, but Rorgan shakes his head, looking at the door for a moment. "Just shut up and let me work," He hisses right back. This was an unlikely plan, but it just might work, if indeed, the hedgehog planned on coming out at that moment, which he figured was why the music had started up again.

Raziel doesn't take a step back - limiting how far Fargo can really /go/. Instead, the wildcat watches events unfold; and he's pretty sure he can see where this is going...

Rorgan turns to look at the hedgehog, but instead of answering, he pulls the dagger away from Toran's throat and reverses the grip. He brings his paw up for just a moment before bringing it down and letting the dagger fly. The dagger twirls in a deadly dance through the air before coming to a stop....buried in the hedgehog's throat.

The weasel looks away as the hedgehog falls over in a slump. "Blazes..." Fargo says. He has to remind himself that this wasn't a hedgehog but an evil vermin killing hedgehog of...evilness and...nope not working. The weasel clutches at his stomach, feeling very ill. Dispite what he is feeling the weasel asks, "Does he have any keys?"

Raziel is not so affected. Or at all, really. He's a mercenary, it's part of his job to see death. The wildcat grumbles, "he had better have the keys...otherwise, I'm going to be VERY upset."

Rorgan looks to Toran. "Get the door," He says before running to the fallen hedgehog for his dagger. Toran nods and produces a lockpick from on of the many small pouches in the thin armor he wore. Kneeling, he begins to fiddle with the lock, and within a few moments, there is a click and the fox pulls the door open. "Come on, we need to hurry here!" Rorgan looks up from the body of the Jasper just as he is cleaning the blood on the hedgehog's clothing. "Get Derrin too!" He hisses.

Fargo watches the door open. A spark of hope is lit in the weasels heart. Maybe...just maybe they will survive. He instantly dashes out through the open door and trips when the chain to the shackles goes taut. "Right...forgot about that."

Raziel clears his throat after his leg is yanked forward by the weasel, though the wildcat does not fall himself. He's a feline! "Would somebeast please remove this now?"

Toran looks between Raziel and Rorgan for a moment before holding up a claw. "One moment." He runs over to Derrin's cell starting to work on the door. Several minutes go by, and Toran is eventually walking out of the cell supporting a very weak Derrin, the sight of whom causes Rorgan to rush forward and relieve the fox of his burden, allowing Toran to walk over to the other two creatures, picking the locks on their shackles as well. Toran is just the master at picking locks isn't he? After several seconds go by, the padlocks are sitting unlocked on the stone floor.