Lukeknight64: So let me get this straight

Lukeknight64: Since going to sleep last night, you have gone through character creation, chosen a starting city, and gotten arrested

Lukeknight64: How did you do this

Lukeknight64: How did you get arrested before noon

Lukeknight:64: . . .

Lukeknight64: NIKOLA DID YOU MURDER SOMEONE

Lukeknight64: Please tell me you didn't murder anybody

Lukeknight64: Your dad would be so disappointed

Nikola furrowed her brows at that. She had been smiling a bit before then, but she felt the muscles within her face sink in response to his message. She knew he would be disappointed in her if he found out about her misdeeds, but how did Luke know that? How many things did this person know about her, despite them having only met a couple of moons ago?

Actually, wouldn't most fathers be disappointed if their daughter went and killed somebody? Maybe she was reading too much into this.

Nikola Brightdark: I did not kill anybody, Luke.

Nikola Brightdark: I simply chose a location on the map that was shown to me, and when I arrived, the locals began to stare. Eventually, some guards apprehended me, though I am still unsure as to why.

Nikola Brightdark: I was brought to somebody they referred to as 'The Violet Queen'.

Lukeknight:64: Whoa, so you chose Flapnap as your starting city?

Lukeknight64: But aren't you a human? Humans don't usually even get that as an option

Lukeknight64: That's a 10 out of 10 on the wtf scale

Nikola Brightdark: You are using words I do not understand again. Did I make a poor choice?

Lukeknight64: Uh

Lukeknight64: Not exactly, it just usually literally does not show up as an option for humans

Lukeknight64: I guess in the literal sense yeah, because the elves there arrest humans on sight, but it's not like you could have known that since you and your dad live pretty isolated lives

Lukeknight:64: Actually it's pretty interesting that you chose Flapnap since it's kind of like one of the first true decisions you've actually made, as a non-NPC, human, whatever you are now

Lukeknight64: Besides, y'know, taking me prisoner, which I was not fond of

Lukeknight64: Why did you choose Flapnap?

Nikola Brightdark: I have always liked purple.

Nikola Brightdark: I have also never been to the city, despite it being somewhat close to my own. I always told myself I would visit it once I was free of my obligations.

Lukeknight64: lol it's a good thing you chose something close now that I think of it

Lukeknight64: So on second thought, it was a brilliant choice

Lukeknight64: S Tier choice on account of you hopefully being able to get back here before I cease to exist

Lukeknight64: It's been fun chatting with you and normally I'd say talking to an NPC (sorry) seemingly come to life would be a fucking delightful way to go, but the more I'm experiencing it the more I'm realizing I'd rather just live and skip the dying part altogether, so you should go and figure out how to gtfo that prison

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Nikola Brightdark: It is alright. How do I get the blue rectangle to go away?

Lukeknight64: Just do the same motion you did to summon it.

Nikola Brightdark: Alright. I will talk to you again once I have escaped this place.

Nikola made the squiggly motion again, and the box fizzed away into nothingness. Her brain and mind felt similarly fizzy, like they were buzzing with information. It was another sensation that was new to her now that she was 'not an NPC', especially when coupled with the emotions she was feeling now - she couldn't even begin to identify all of them. She had learned so much in such a short period of time, and she still wasn't sure how much of it she truly believed.

She would have to confirm it all with Luke when she saw him again. How much was his freedom worth to him? Surely, she could extract a little more information from him before he had to be on his way.

She checked in on her body. The soreness in her joints had settled in, so she stood up and started to move around to will it away. She deemed herself ready when it dulled to a faint throb that would no doubt fade away in the heat of her escape.

As she was lining herself up with the spaces between the bars, she felt some kind of accursed emotion bubbling up within her. She would describe it as 'bad'. She turned her head towards the red-haired girl, who hadn't moved from her spot since she had delivered her unsettling speech about her having made over 3 queries. Her skin was chalky and white, and her bones were showing all down her body. She knew that the way out was just a few short steps away, and yet she said that she was too drained to make the trek.

Would it be right to leave her here to die - and did she care about the 'right' thing to do? Surely, the red-haired waif would succumb to death in a few short moons if Nikola didn't intervene. And if she truly didn't care about dying, like how none of the prisoners in this prison seemed to, then perhaps the slab beneath her house would appreciate another sacrifice. While there was no meat on her, blood still coursed through her veins, and Nikola couldn't help but think about how easily her brittle bones would split at the mercy of her cleaver.

At the very least, it wouldn't be right to leave such an easy kill behind to rot. If the red-haired prisoner didn't want her life, she would gladly take it.

Nikola slipped into the neighbouring cage and knelt down over the horizontal female, grabbing her slim wrists and tugging her up into a sort of backward lean. She didn't even grunt at being roused from her bed, nor did she protest when Nikola started to maneuver them through the bars.

"I'm going to get you out of this place," she whispered as she yanked her shoulder blade through to the other side, and then the rest of her. She slid through easily, with next to no fleshy lumps or bumps to speak of. When they were on the other side, Nikola hoisted her over her shoulder and marveled at how close to weightless she was. She had carried bags of flour that were more substantial.

"I'm also going to feed you," she decided silently, mostly to herself.

Nikola had expected the prisoners still in their cages to follow her lead, or even to acknowledge what they were doing, but each and every one of them remained in the same position they had been in since she was brought in. Maybe the purple butterfly God really had sucked up their last drop of energy and they were waiting for the sweet embrace of death.

She took a few cautious steps toward the hallway that led upstairs. She was still barefoot, so the pads of her feet made nary a sound as she strode up to the first step, and then up to the next, until she had climbed the whole staircase. The way up was blissfully uneventful, and no guards were stationed at the immediate top of the stairs either.

From what she had observed of their patrol, one guard visited the dungeon every hour or so, and they didn't stay down there for long. The guard had left just before she had finished her conversation with Luke, so she was home free as far as that one was concerned, but how many others were there? This was a palace with a Queen at its heart. It had to be heavily guarded. And to make matters worse, the only exit she knew the location of was the door she arrived through, which was at the end of a long, open hallway.

A long, open hallway wouldn't create any opportunities for her in the way of stealth. And with dead weight on her back and no weapons or armour, stealth was what she needed in this moment.

Which was why she would have to find another exit.