Narrative - Two Years Ago - Underground Funk
Part 1 - The Flashback: Two Years Ago
It was dark.
There were no Grues to be found, no Revenants. Nothing except the low constant thrum of mechanics moving.
A rumbling of hard edged stone, rock sliding against rock.
A shaft of light pierced the darkness, and with rumbling of mechanics, the door slid open. The tall figure stepped inside and clicked on her multitool light.
"Ngh. I hate being down here." Bella murmured to herself. Dripping wet from the stormy weather that tended to hang around the town.
The Underground. The maintenance tunnels underneath Kintostown, which also linked to the sewers, and, if you knew where to go, damn near everywhere in town.
Of course, another little known fact is the fact that more of Kintostown is mechanical that meets the eye. The Underground tunnels have a tendency to shift. Move with the great big clockwork and mechanics that powered the town and Castle.
The door behind her rumbled as it closed, leaving Bella with the mechanical lantern from her pack. "Now, all I have to do is get to the center." She started forward, moving quickly.
If the Alliance was in the town, even only for a few days, there's no doubt that the tunnels underneath the city would be discovered.
From further down the tunnel, "--and these things power the whole town?"
Voices! Bella ducked into an alcove, turning off her light.
Two individuals worked their way down the tunnel, both in Southern Alliance ground-troop uniforms, "Aye, that's what they say. Be careful, tho', these tunnels're booby trapped--and they like to change out on us."
"I thought you said this place wasn't alive like that bloody Heterodyne place?"
"No, it ain't, Cap'n. It seems'ta move at specific points--but we don't know what th' pattern is. It's extraordinarily complicated with how the tunnels are made--" Rumbling. "Damn it, the tunnels are shifting again--!"
Bella took this chance, dashing off behind them as the path they just came from closed with a stony thud. "Whew. That was too close." She leaned against the wall, rubbing her left sleeve over her forehead. "I hate the tunnels."
If you ever, ever need to get in through the tunnels, Annabella, remember. Always work your way in to the middle. From there, you can get to the Castle, and any place in town.
"Heh, thanks for that, Father." She started working her way down the path more. Worming through tunnels until she started reaching the lit area. The section underneath Kintotech Castle. She climbed the ladder, forcing the stone door up and open.
"A supply closet." How fitting. She closed the door in the floor, making sure it was shut good and tight. And she opened the door to the supply closet.
She was in the North Hall. "..Oh. Yes." She said to herself, slipping out of the closet and down the hall. She knew where she was.
Out the window, it rained lightly. She watches for a moment, seeing that the town's alright.
A rattling chain from the room marked as hers catches her attention. "Eh?" Her curious sound is followed by vaguely mechanical whining. "..Oh, hell." She steps quickly into the room and closes the door behind her.
Bella's room is large, having half-finished projects scattered about, an opened wardrobe, and most obviously, and chained to the bed?
A large mechanical dog about the size of a wolf, wearing the House of Kintotech symbol on its back. It sees her and whines, tugging at the chain holding it to the bedpost.
"Oh, Comech.." She sighs, "You too?"
The dog, apparently named Comech, whines again. There's a vice-type of muzzle over its mouth, keeping it from breaking the chain.
"Hold still, okay?" She pats the dog on the metallic dome of its head, and reaches over with her mechanical hand, giving the chain a twist and--SNAP. It breaks loose. The muzzle goes next. Comech, now free, barks mechanically and pounces Bella. Bella hugs the dog, "Hey, hey. Calm down. Gotta be quiet--now.." She stands, heading for the closet with her tools--
"--HEY, who's there?"
Shit. She grabs her good toolbelt and yanks it on. God knows she might need the multitool in it.
The door is shoved open, two guards in Southern Alliance uniforms shove their way into the room. The mechanical dog takes a low stance and starts growling.
"Son of a--She's turned the dog loose again."
"Belay that, LOOK." The second guard pointed to Bella's shoulderguard, "She's Annabella." Both of them aim their rifles at her. "Freeze, Ms. Fennix. We don't want to hurt you if we don't have to."
"Yeah, well." Bella shifts her weight, one hand going to her hip. "I'm the one with the dog. COMECH. FETCH." She points forward quickly, and the dog barks loudly and mechanically, jumping for the first guard and fighting him for the rifle. The guard yelps and tries to shove the heavy mechanical beast off.
The second one yelps as well, losing his aim, only to have his hand ZOTed by Bella's death ray. "Now let me through." The snap of the rifle coming apart echoes through the room. "NOW."
He turns tail and runs for his life when his partner passes out, and the dog giving him eyes. Comech chases after him, barking loudly and mechanically, "Comech--Gah. I wanted to get him out of here too, and now I don't have time." That said, Bella hupped her way over the first guard's unconscious body, and ran for the secret entrance she used.
Damn it all.
Part 3 - The Escape
It was dark.
There were no Grues to be found, no Revenants. Nothing except the low constant thrum of mechanics moving.
A rumbling of hard edged stone, rock sliding against rock.
A shaft of light pierced the darkness, and with rumbling of mechanics, the door slid open. The tall figure stepped inside and clicked on her multitool light.
"Ngh. I hate being down here." Bella murmured to herself. Dripping wet from the stormy weather that tended to hang around the town.
The Underground. The maintenance tunnels underneath Kintostown, which also linked to the sewers, and, if you knew where to go, damn near everywhere in town.
Of course, another little known fact is the fact that more of Kintostown is mechanical that meets the eye. The Underground tunnels have a tendency to shift. Move with the great big clockwork and mechanics that powered the town and Castle.
The door behind her rumbled as it closed, leaving Bella with the mechanical lantern from her pack. "Now, all I have to do is get to the center." She started forward, moving quickly.
If the Alliance was in the town, even only for a few days, there's no doubt that the tunnels underneath the city would be discovered.
From further down the tunnel, "--and these things power the whole town?"
Voices! Bella ducked into an alcove, turning off her light.
Two individuals worked their way down the tunnel, both in Southern Alliance ground-troop uniforms, "Aye, that's what they say. Be careful, tho', these tunnels're booby trapped--and they like to change out on us."
"I thought you said this place wasn't alive like that bloody Heterodyne place?"
"No, it ain't, Cap'n. It seems'ta move at specific points--but we don't know what th' pattern is. It's extraordinarily complicated with how the tunnels are made--" Rumbling. "Damn it, the tunnels are shifting again--!"
Bella took this chance, dashing off behind them as the path they just came from closed with a stony thud. "Whew. That was too close." She leaned against the wall, rubbing her left sleeve over her forehead. "I hate the tunnels."
If you ever, ever need to get in through the tunnels, Annabella, remember. Always work your way in to the middle. From there, you can get to the Castle, and any place in town.
"Heh, thanks for that, Father." She started working her way down the path more. Worming through tunnels until she started reaching the lit area. The section underneath Kintotech Castle. She climbed the ladder, forcing the stone door up and open.
"A supply closet." How fitting. She closed the door in the floor, making sure it was shut good and tight. And she opened the door to the supply closet.
She was in the North Hall. "..Oh. Yes." She said to herself, slipping out of the closet and down the hall. She knew where she was.
Out the window, it rained lightly. She watches for a moment, seeing that the town's alright.
A rattling chain from the room marked as hers catches her attention. "Eh?" Her curious sound is followed by vaguely mechanical whining. "..Oh, hell." She steps quickly into the room and closes the door behind her.
Bella's room is large, having half-finished projects scattered about, an opened wardrobe, and most obviously, and chained to the bed?
A large mechanical dog about the size of a wolf, wearing the House of Kintotech symbol on its back. It sees her and whines, tugging at the chain holding it to the bedpost.
"Oh, Comech.." She sighs, "You too?"
The dog, apparently named Comech, whines again. There's a vice-type of muzzle over its mouth, keeping it from breaking the chain.
"Hold still, okay?" She pats the dog on the metallic dome of its head, and reaches over with her mechanical hand, giving the chain a twist and--SNAP. It breaks loose. The muzzle goes next. Comech, now free, barks mechanically and pounces Bella. Bella hugs the dog, "Hey, hey. Calm down. Gotta be quiet--now.." She stands, heading for the closet with her tools--
"--HEY, who's there?"
Shit. She grabs her good toolbelt and yanks it on. God knows she might need the multitool in it.
The door is shoved open, two guards in Southern Alliance uniforms shove their way into the room. The mechanical dog takes a low stance and starts growling.
"Son of a--She's turned the dog loose again."
"Belay that, LOOK." The second guard pointed to Bella's shoulderguard, "She's Annabella." Both of them aim their rifles at her. "Freeze, Ms. Fennix. We don't want to hurt you if we don't have to."
"Yeah, well." Bella shifts her weight, one hand going to her hip. "I'm the one with the dog. COMECH. FETCH." She points forward quickly, and the dog barks loudly and mechanically, jumping for the first guard and fighting him for the rifle. The guard yelps and tries to shove the heavy mechanical beast off.
The second one yelps as well, losing his aim, only to have his hand ZOTed by Bella's death ray. "Now let me through." The snap of the rifle coming apart echoes through the room. "NOW."
He turns tail and runs for his life when his partner passes out, and the dog giving him eyes. Comech chases after him, barking loudly and mechanically, "Comech--Gah. I wanted to get him out of here too, and now I don't have time." That said, Bella hupped her way over the first guard's unconscious body, and ran for the secret entrance she used.
Damn it all.
Part 3 - The Escape