47th of Searing, 120
The plan was simple. The Thompson brothers patrolled the streets of lower Nivenhain once a fortnight between the days of Wraedas and Thioras. He didn't know why but supposed it had something to do with their family business's operating hours, or perhaps the time that they were left in their parent's watch? It didn't matter. Knowing the time that they were prowling was crucial to his plans. They were always out at sunset, as night time in Lower Nivenhain was dangerous, filled with crooks and shady figures alike. They weren't from the streets and didn't know what places to avoid, unlike the young rathari that had lived there all his life. So, all Arkash needed to do to avoid getting a beating or being forced to pay up their protection fees was not go out at those times on those days as they didn't know where he lived. But, like last time, it was sometimes unavoidable, and he was likely to bump into them anyway.
[indent=30]So, he needed a back-up plan in case he was unable to follow the first plan. The plan was an escape route through the streets, into the alleys, and then to wait somewhere that the humans wouldn't be able to reach him. But for that plan to work, he needed to be able to outrun them. Part of him felt that, on a good day, he could. But last time, he was encumbered by his backpack and hadn't slept in more than an entire day. This time would be different if they somehow caught him in the streets.
[indent=30]It was sunset now, but the boys wouldn't be patrolling for another couple of days, he believed. He would have time to practice his running, perhaps work out some evasive maneuvers for whatever obstacles laid in his path. There wouldn't be too much on the streets, he knew, but the odd horses and carts were surely unavoidable.
[indent=30]Arkash was performing some basic dynamic stretches outside his home. They would loosen the muscles in his legs and assure that he wouldn't injure himself during his run. A glance of his eyes checked on the bandages that wrapped his feet, and they still held tightly.
[indent=30]The dowels had long since been discarded, as he no longer needed the splint, and his ankle felt as though it had fully recovered. His head still swam whenever he looked too harshly in any one direction, and migraines plagued him a lot of the time. Standing too quickly gave him nausea and often threatened to drop him front faintness, but he managed. Until that day, he had been resting outside of work, so he'd recovered quite well. Part of him doubted it was a good idea to attempt running with his injuries still a problem, but he didn't have time to fully heal. He was good enough, it would just have to do.
[indent=30]Once his warm-up was complete, he flicked his bandaged legs a few times, then broke into a light jog. Having bandages to cover his feet alleviated the cold of the cobbled streets, which was something the young rath took note of. Each footfall echoed the click of his claws on the stone, as there was nothing for his cleat-like talons to grip. If anything, it made him unsteady, and he had to focus on his footing more. Still, he pressed on with his light jog until he felt his heart beating faster, and he needed to breathe a little quicker to recover through the run.
[indent=30]All was going well through his jog, but jogging alone wasn't going to get him away from the Thompson brothers. So, Arkash leaned forward and broke into a sprint. He had to make use of his arms to both open his lungs and cut through the air as he bombed forward.
[indent=30]Compared to a horse, he probably wasn't going that fast. But, for other humanoids, he believed to be traveling a lot faster than the average human could. He was incredibly light, due tot he fact that his body-fat reserves were virtually nonexistent, and that he'd been able to bulk up the muscles in his legs thanks to Barry's food gifts. Beyond that, he could afford to lean further forward as his heavy, club-like tail acted as a sort-of counterweight, and kept him level. He was streamlined, agile, and swift.
[indent=30]Despite his rest and good eating in the past week or so, the sprint still drained him of all his stamina very quickly, and the Rath slowed to a jog. He didn't sweat as humans did, and he had the advantage of being cold-blooded, so he didn't have to worry about overheating. But, his muscles still demanded oxygen and water in recompense for the energy that he burned through his exercises. So, he breathed deeply and quickly, which filled his lungs with much-needed oxygen, which was then dispensed to his muscles through his blood vessels.
[indent=30]Sprinting was a short burst of speed that he would utilize if he needed it, he decided. Otherwise, he'd best not burn through his stamina. Jogging and running would get him further, but not as quickly.
[indent=30]In his running, a haze took his mind, and his thoughts wandered. To what or where was uncertain, as his mind jumped from topic to topic seamlessly, but most of them occupied Cojack and their plans for the future. If he could pull this off, and evade the brothers for a couple more months, he and Cojack could be done with Lorien. It was looking all the more likely that they would take the caravan instead of braving the roads themselves. There were too many variables with making such a long journey through the wilderness, and Cojack couldn't walk very long. There was the option of buying a horse, but neither of them knew anything about handling one. No, a one-way trip out of the city and to the next was the best option, and they would soon be able to afford the food they needed among other supplies for the big move.
[indent=30]The sudden loud whinny of a horse snapped him from his daze, and Arkash blinked. In his daydream, he hadn't seen that he was running face-first into a horse that towed a cart! At once, the beast reared up, and Arkash skidded to a halt before it. A mad scramble saw him get out of its path just in time to avoid being crushed. "Whoa!" Called the human that rode the cart, who flicked the reigns. "Watch where you're going, scalie rat!" Warned the voice. Scalie rat?
[indent=30]Arkash was out of breath; he didn't get a good look of the man in the cart as he continued on his way. But, a glance around him showed that he was in a brighter part of town, people were dressed ina actual clothes and appeared clean. The buildings weren't run down and the roads were paved properly: He wasn't in Lower Nivenhain anymore. A deep exhale saw him gather some of his sense, and he turned to the direction he'd come from.
[indent=30]Many eyes were on him, most of them lined with disgust and contempt. It couldn't have been more obvious that he didn't belong there, after all. The only clothes he bared was a ragged loincloth and a series of dirty bandages on his arms and legs. Most of the people there had flawless skin, while his scales were covered in scars and breaks of paler flesh beneath.
[indent=30]Eventually, he found his way back to the gloomy streets of lower Nivenhain. Somehow, he felt more at ease there than in the other districts. Sure, people still stared at him in the shadier parts of the city, as Rathari were quite rare in Lorien, but he didn't feel like an outsider there. Weirdly, it was almost as though he belonged among the peasants and lost souls. But at the end of the day, he wasn't going to be there forever. He wasn't lost, he had a plan. Surviving until then, however, was going to be a challenge.
[indent=30]When the rath decided that he'd had enough practice in running, he took a moment to catch his breath, then returned to the streets in search of the route that he planned to use to escape. His plan B was coming along well.
[indent=30]Part-way through his walk, he stopped by his home and sat in the mangled front garden beside the fallen ladder. His head was beginning to hurt, a lot of it due to the intensity of running. He'd have to take it easy for the rest of the day if he wanted to remain fit for work. A deep sigh flowed from his lips, and he gently stood before returning to his shack to fetch a drink of water from the pale. After that, he'd be on his way to find an escape route.
The plan was simple. The Thompson brothers patrolled the streets of lower Nivenhain once a fortnight between the days of Wraedas and Thioras. He didn't know why but supposed it had something to do with their family business's operating hours, or perhaps the time that they were left in their parent's watch? It didn't matter. Knowing the time that they were prowling was crucial to his plans. They were always out at sunset, as night time in Lower Nivenhain was dangerous, filled with crooks and shady figures alike. They weren't from the streets and didn't know what places to avoid, unlike the young rathari that had lived there all his life. So, all Arkash needed to do to avoid getting a beating or being forced to pay up their protection fees was not go out at those times on those days as they didn't know where he lived. But, like last time, it was sometimes unavoidable, and he was likely to bump into them anyway.
[indent=30]So, he needed a back-up plan in case he was unable to follow the first plan. The plan was an escape route through the streets, into the alleys, and then to wait somewhere that the humans wouldn't be able to reach him. But for that plan to work, he needed to be able to outrun them. Part of him felt that, on a good day, he could. But last time, he was encumbered by his backpack and hadn't slept in more than an entire day. This time would be different if they somehow caught him in the streets.
[indent=30]It was sunset now, but the boys wouldn't be patrolling for another couple of days, he believed. He would have time to practice his running, perhaps work out some evasive maneuvers for whatever obstacles laid in his path. There wouldn't be too much on the streets, he knew, but the odd horses and carts were surely unavoidable.
[indent=30]Arkash was performing some basic dynamic stretches outside his home. They would loosen the muscles in his legs and assure that he wouldn't injure himself during his run. A glance of his eyes checked on the bandages that wrapped his feet, and they still held tightly.
[indent=30]The dowels had long since been discarded, as he no longer needed the splint, and his ankle felt as though it had fully recovered. His head still swam whenever he looked too harshly in any one direction, and migraines plagued him a lot of the time. Standing too quickly gave him nausea and often threatened to drop him front faintness, but he managed. Until that day, he had been resting outside of work, so he'd recovered quite well. Part of him doubted it was a good idea to attempt running with his injuries still a problem, but he didn't have time to fully heal. He was good enough, it would just have to do.
[indent=30]Once his warm-up was complete, he flicked his bandaged legs a few times, then broke into a light jog. Having bandages to cover his feet alleviated the cold of the cobbled streets, which was something the young rath took note of. Each footfall echoed the click of his claws on the stone, as there was nothing for his cleat-like talons to grip. If anything, it made him unsteady, and he had to focus on his footing more. Still, he pressed on with his light jog until he felt his heart beating faster, and he needed to breathe a little quicker to recover through the run.
[indent=30]All was going well through his jog, but jogging alone wasn't going to get him away from the Thompson brothers. So, Arkash leaned forward and broke into a sprint. He had to make use of his arms to both open his lungs and cut through the air as he bombed forward.
[indent=30]Compared to a horse, he probably wasn't going that fast. But, for other humanoids, he believed to be traveling a lot faster than the average human could. He was incredibly light, due tot he fact that his body-fat reserves were virtually nonexistent, and that he'd been able to bulk up the muscles in his legs thanks to Barry's food gifts. Beyond that, he could afford to lean further forward as his heavy, club-like tail acted as a sort-of counterweight, and kept him level. He was streamlined, agile, and swift.
[indent=30]Despite his rest and good eating in the past week or so, the sprint still drained him of all his stamina very quickly, and the Rath slowed to a jog. He didn't sweat as humans did, and he had the advantage of being cold-blooded, so he didn't have to worry about overheating. But, his muscles still demanded oxygen and water in recompense for the energy that he burned through his exercises. So, he breathed deeply and quickly, which filled his lungs with much-needed oxygen, which was then dispensed to his muscles through his blood vessels.
[indent=30]Sprinting was a short burst of speed that he would utilize if he needed it, he decided. Otherwise, he'd best not burn through his stamina. Jogging and running would get him further, but not as quickly.
[indent=30]In his running, a haze took his mind, and his thoughts wandered. To what or where was uncertain, as his mind jumped from topic to topic seamlessly, but most of them occupied Cojack and their plans for the future. If he could pull this off, and evade the brothers for a couple more months, he and Cojack could be done with Lorien. It was looking all the more likely that they would take the caravan instead of braving the roads themselves. There were too many variables with making such a long journey through the wilderness, and Cojack couldn't walk very long. There was the option of buying a horse, but neither of them knew anything about handling one. No, a one-way trip out of the city and to the next was the best option, and they would soon be able to afford the food they needed among other supplies for the big move.
[indent=30]The sudden loud whinny of a horse snapped him from his daze, and Arkash blinked. In his daydream, he hadn't seen that he was running face-first into a horse that towed a cart! At once, the beast reared up, and Arkash skidded to a halt before it. A mad scramble saw him get out of its path just in time to avoid being crushed. "Whoa!" Called the human that rode the cart, who flicked the reigns. "Watch where you're going, scalie rat!" Warned the voice. Scalie rat?
[indent=30]Arkash was out of breath; he didn't get a good look of the man in the cart as he continued on his way. But, a glance around him showed that he was in a brighter part of town, people were dressed ina actual clothes and appeared clean. The buildings weren't run down and the roads were paved properly: He wasn't in Lower Nivenhain anymore. A deep exhale saw him gather some of his sense, and he turned to the direction he'd come from.
[indent=30]Many eyes were on him, most of them lined with disgust and contempt. It couldn't have been more obvious that he didn't belong there, after all. The only clothes he bared was a ragged loincloth and a series of dirty bandages on his arms and legs. Most of the people there had flawless skin, while his scales were covered in scars and breaks of paler flesh beneath.
[indent=30]Eventually, he found his way back to the gloomy streets of lower Nivenhain. Somehow, he felt more at ease there than in the other districts. Sure, people still stared at him in the shadier parts of the city, as Rathari were quite rare in Lorien, but he didn't feel like an outsider there. Weirdly, it was almost as though he belonged among the peasants and lost souls. But at the end of the day, he wasn't going to be there forever. He wasn't lost, he had a plan. Surviving until then, however, was going to be a challenge.
[indent=30]When the rath decided that he'd had enough practice in running, he took a moment to catch his breath, then returned to the streets in search of the route that he planned to use to escape. His plan B was coming along well.
[indent=30]Part-way through his walk, he stopped by his home and sat in the mangled front garden beside the fallen ladder. His head was beginning to hurt, a lot of it due to the intensity of running. He'd have to take it easy for the rest of the day if he wanted to remain fit for work. A deep sigh flowed from his lips, and he gently stood before returning to his shack to fetch a drink of water from the pale. After that, he'd be on his way to find an escape route.
