Dungeons Are Bad Business

A frigid gust of air blasted through the bars of Holly’s cell, causing her to shiver. With a grin, Holly closed her eyes and embraced the cold’s caress, greeting the promise of snow to come like an old friend. Carefully, she stripped the power out of the wind and squeezed it into her wells. Sadly, it wasn’t much. A sprinkling of salt instead of a full meal, but it’d have to do.

Holly was breaking out of jail tonight, and she needed all the power she could get as fast as she could get it.

There were fifteen minutes until the guards next came by on their rounds. She wouldn’t be here when they passed her cell.

Opening her eyes, Holly looked down at the twin black bangles wrapped around her wrists. They were hushcuffs, a relic of anti-magic from a bygone era that kept her from using most of her powers. However, they were not the pristine and powerful deterrent to magical wrongdoing that they’d once been. Time – and dozens of law-opposed spellcasters straining against them – had worn the hushcuffs down. The metal was dull and covered in scratches; the hypocritical runes decrying magic along the sides almost completely faded.

Though she hated the metal bands and everything that they represented, Holly was begrudgingly grateful to them. By preventing her from making real contact with her wells for the past year and a half, they’d forced the [Snowmancer] to improve both her focus and control. Now, instead of having to hold an entire flurry of power to even feel it, she could comfortably discern the unique shape of a single flake of [Snow Magic]. Once she was free and regained her lost stats – incarceration hadn’t been kind to her – she’d definitely be more powerful than ever before.

She smiled. Once she recovered, she’d never have to worry about that stupid salamander [Lawman] ever again. The way he’d brushed away her [Pebble-filled Snowball] and blocked her signature weapon’s attacks still made her tremble with rage. One day, she’d have her revenge!

But first, escape.

Standing on her tiptoes, Holly reached up to the bars of her cell and let the cold air blow over her hands. Lucretia guide me.

Focusing, Holly reached for her wells, gritting her teeth at the itching pain that shot up and down her wrists as the hushcuffs began to glow. The first time she’d felt their binding power, she’d cried out and hadn’t even thought about trying to get to her wells for weeks afterwards. Now though, the pain was simply something she needed to push through. Compared to the pain of breaking her limits, this was nothing.

The hushcuffs turned red. There was no going back now. Dimwitted and lazy as they were, even the guards wouldn’t fail to notice the blazing light when they came by. They’d check the bangles, see that they were damaged, and replace them with a newer set. All hopes of escape would be lost.

Holly wasn’t going to let that happen.

For almost two full minutes, the [Snowmancer] endured the agony of the bangles trying to suppress her magic, but just as she started to fear that she’d underestimated the bindings, she felt their pressure slacken and breathed a sigh of relief. A tear rolled down her cheek, but Holly ignored it as she squeezed hard enough to brush her consciousness against her wells. From there, she teased out a dusting of her power.

It was barely anything, a smattering of [Flake Frost] that was weaker than her first forays into [Snow Magic] had been as a child, but it was enough. The frost settled on the bangles and grew thicker as Holly fed it all the power she managed to take from the wind. Eventually, there was enough for Holly to form a proper [Chilletto].

Time was precious, but the [Snowmancer] stayed as she was for another few minutes, continuing to pour energy into the dagger.

When she could afford to wait no longer, Holly brought her hands back down from the window and pressed the frosty point of the knife against the bangle on her right wrist. Praying once again to Lucretia*, Holly slammed her wrists and the weapon’s handle into the wall.

Nothing happened, and the sound of the impact was so loud that Holly was certain packs of guards were sprinting to her cell at that very moment, but she drew back her arms and swung again. This time, the noise was louder, and a tiny –tiny! – crack appeared around in the hushcuff around the [Chilletto]’s tip. Emboldened by her success, Holly repeated this process over and over until she’d freed her right hand.

From there, freeing the left was simple, and before much more time passed, the manacles were in pieces at her feet.

[Stat regained! Might +2]

[You are still suffering from the Imprisoned status. Your stats are lower than they should be.]

Holly let out a wild laugh as snowy strength poured into her veins. Though they were diminished from her time in captivity, the remnants of her wells were bursting with power. She let some of the [Snow Magic] sooth her aching wrists, and then turned her attention to the bars that stood between her and freedom. How much time was there left until the next patrol? She’d been so focused on breaking the hushcuffs, she’d lost track.

Well, the amount of time left didn’t really change the plan at all, it just meant she had to do it a little faster. Clutching her hands together as if in prayer, Holly summoned a [Snow Crab] and set the creature’s mighty claws to work on the door to her cell.

The metal didn’t last long, and as it clanged to the ground, Holly hurried down the hall. She had to get as far away as she could before the next patrol came by.

*Goddess of Thieves, Criminals, and [Tax Collectors]

There was only one guard at the desk, an old gray kittrekin with thinning fur and an ample stomach. He was napping, with his paws behind his head and his feet up on the desk.

However, when Holly tried to sneak past him, he snapped to attention and Holly readied another [Chilletto], lifting the blade to chest level. She’d hoped to escape without bloodshed, but if it was necessary…

The [City Guard]’s eyes widened at the sight of the weapon in her hand, and he held up his empty paws to show that he wasn’t a threat. Even better, he kept his mouth shut.

Holly raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you going to raise the alarm?”

The kittrekin vehemently shook his head. “What do you think I am? Stupid? I can see those snowflakes in your eyes, girl. I know better than to try and stop you. I won’t give you any trouble. Gawain’s balls, I’m only three months away from retirement, and I’ve got grandkids I want to spend time with! No desires for a hero’s death here! As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t see nothing! Please don’t hurt me!”

Holly twirled the knife, wrestling with her thoughts for a moment. She knew that the guard was a loose end, and thanks to a childhood spent eavesdropping on her father while he conducted business, she knew exactly what she was supposed to do with loose ends. If her old man had been in her shoes, the guard would have been dead before he even got to mention his grandkids.

But Holly wasn’t her dad, and her hand fell to her side. The [Chilletto] vanished, and the guard breathed a sigh of relief. With a nod, Holly ran down the next hallway and through the door that led outside.

The prison was a lonely building atop a steep hill. Normally, it wouldn’t have been an issue for Holly to sprint down it to freedom, but her body wasn’t cooperating. She’d underestimated the severity of her imprisoned status, failing to realize exactly how much fitness she’d lost. It hurt to breath, and her back was covered in sweat.

She’d have to get down another way.

“[Snow Magic: Snow Form]!”

Holly’s body transformed into three stacked balls of snow – the trademark skill of her class – and though it took more effort than she would have liked to admit, Holly forced herself to roll down the hill to the street of the city below. Once she was on flat ground again, she deactivated the skill and returned to normal.

Doing her best to avoid looking suspicious, Holly walked down the street as if returning home after a night out with friends, and only jumped a little bit when the sound of the prison alarm rang out through the night.

Her escape had taken longer than she’d thought. Looking around, Holly was thankful there weren’t any [City Guards], [Bastions], or [Holy Paladins] chasing after her. In fact, there wasn’t anybody around at all. Just how late was it?

The streets of Oar’s Crest were eerily quiet, and Holly threaded her way through the narrow alleys towards Eastown. If she could make it to Angelino’s – her dad’s place – she’d be safe. There was no way he’d turn her over to the city authorities.

Even if he hadn’t lifted a finger to try and break her out of prison. Probably too busy with his rotating trio of mistresses to care about his only daughter.

The thought stung and Holly dismissed it, choosing to focus on avoiding detection instead. There’d be plenty of time to be angry at her dad later.

As she walked, a strange awareness increasingly tugged at her mind. It was completely alien, but oddly comforting at the same time. Like a toasty fire on a cold fall day, it was warm and inviting. Her wells called out to it, and Holly felt herself pulled towards it.

Before she got far though, she heard the sound of yelling behind her.

“She couldn’t have gotten far!”

“Hurry up, she has to be around here somewhere!”

The guards!

Holly sprinted down the alley and [Breeze Stepped] her way up to the top of a nearby building. She waited until the pack of guards went by, then leapt to the next rooftop over and continued moving towards Eastown.

Once she was sure that there weren’t any guards nearby, Holly returned to the ground. Staying on the roofs too long was how she’d been captured in the first place, and the [Snowmancer] wasn’t the kind to repeat a mistake more than once.

Safety was close, and Holly sprinted for all she was worth towards the dingy restaurant where her dad did almost all his business. However, since she was so focused on her escape, she failed to properly pay attention to her surroundings. She ran smack dab into another person as she tried to cross the street half a dozen blocks from Angelino’s. The bizarre sensation that’d filled her skull became omnipresent, and then vanished completely.

Holly and the stranger both tumbled to the ground, and in the amber glow of the city streetlights, the [Snowmancer] got a good look at the other person. She was a short girl with curly hair that was a mixture of brown, orange, and gold. Her clothes were peculiar: an orange and black shirt, a billowing skirt over striped tights, and a pair of boots that looked like they were held together with nails. On the ground next to her was a long, crooked hat with an extremely sharp point. The girl’s bag – which inexplicably had a pumpkin design on it – had definitely seen better days. Not that Holly had much room to talk about fashion just then: her own outfit wasn’t much to look at.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry about that,” Holly said as she scrambled to her feet and held out her hand to help the other girl up. She didn’t know why she was being so considerate. She didn’t have time to waste!

As if to underscore the point, a second alarm rang out from the prison, and Holly knew that she couldn’t afford any delays. Still, her feet remained planted on the ground. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. It’s totally my fault. Are you okay?”

The other girl took Holly’s hand, her palm surprisingly calloused. The stranger’s grip was extremely strong, and Holly had to brace her legs as hard as she could to avoid being pulled down to the ground as the pumpkin girl stood up.

[Stat regained! Might +1]

[Stat regained! Charisma +1]

“Don’t worry about it,” the stranger said as she dusted off her skirt and picked up her hat. “I’m sturdier than I look. My name is Luna, what’s yours—”

Holly’s stomach sank as the stranger’s eyes met her own; now she understood the presence she’d felt.

Shimmering silver snowflakes stared into glowing gold pumpkins, and both girls felt as if they were looking into a mirror.

Luna’s expression hardened and her smiled faded. “Hey, actually, answer something else for me instead. Why are you in such a rush at this time of night? It wouldn’t have anything to do with those alarms from the prison, would it?”

Holly sucked in a sharp breath and the air around her grew cold. So, this is what it came to. She couldn’t sense much aura from the pumpkin-eyed girl. It must not have been long since she’d broken her limits. A baby, as these things went.

That was lucky, since Holly wasn’t at full strength, and the [Snowmancer] doubted that she’d be able to overcome an experienced Witch just then.

She’d end this in a single strike. Throwing open her wells, Holly called forth as much power as she could handle. The air was filled with the scent of grass and pine needles…the scents of freshly fallen snow. Blue and white energy covered her body, and Holly’s feet levitated off the ground as her wings appeared.

They were smaller than they should have been, and thinner too, but they’d be enough.

“[Snowflurry]!” Holly cried.

Her signature weapon, a whip sword made of wind-threaded snowflakes, appeared in her hand. Taking a deep breath, Holly readied herself to use it.

“I’m not going back to prison. Get out of the way and you won’t get hurt,” she said.

Luna shook her head slowly, as if sad. She set her jaw and her hat straightened into a lance. Her bag grew thin and flat, forming a shield, and gold motes appeared in the air around her body.

“I wouldn’t have chosen this,” Luna said softly. “Not here, not now. The people who live on this street are nice, and the coffee shop down the block has great bagels. But, if you insist on fighting…”

Orange energy surrounded Luna. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla filled the air, chasing away all traces of freshly fallen snow.

When Holly opened her eyes she didn’t know where she was. The ceiling above her was dusty and covered with cobwebs, but it wasn’t the top of her cell like she’d been expecting.

She sat up and winced. Apparently not the afterlife, either. Her right shoulder ached horribly, and when she looked down at it, she saw that it’d been bandaged up. A dim memory of a spear – no, a lance – piercing it flickered through her mind.

Her memories of the fight were…fuzzy, and dominated by flashes of orange and gold light that sent shivers down Holly’s spine.

“That girl is a monster,” she muttered to herself as she tried to get up. “If only I’d been at full strength, then things might have been different.”

The words were hollow though, and she knew it. Even if she’d been twice as strong as she’d been before being captured and imprisoned, she doubted the outcome of her bout with Luna would have been any different.

There was always a bigger fish.

Her entire body felt like a single giant bruise, but Holly managed to clamber up to her feet and stagger over to the door. She paused there for a moment, catching her breath.

The handle was loose and squealed loudly as it twisted, and Holly winced at the noise. Doing her best to tiptoe, she started walking down the hall. When she got to the end, Holly found herself standing in a modest kitchen.

Luna was sitting at the table in the center, drinking from a mug of steaming tea and nibbling on a cookie.

“Good morning,” Luna sang. She smiled without a hint of animosity. It was like the previous night hadn’t even happened. “How are you feeling? Would you like to join me for some tea and cookies? They’re peanut butter and chocolate chip.”

Holly blinked several times, salivating at the prospect of sweets. Prison food had been every bit as yucky as the rumors would have one believe.

Still, she was wary of a trap.

“Where are the guards? Are they on their way?”

Luna shook her head and took another sip of tea. “I haven’t told them about you yet. I won’t either, so long as you don’t go and start making trouble.”

“Why not? It’s against the law to aid a criminal.”

Luna shrugged. “Sometimes the law is wrong. My dad always taught me that the best way to get to know someone is with your fists. Based on last night, I think I have a pretty good understanding of who you are. I don’t think you’re a bad person. You’re not evil. You seemed so sad as we fought. I want to know why you broke out of prison.”

“And if I don’t want to tell you?”

“Then I’ll figure my impression of you was mistaken, and I’ll take you to the guards. What’s your name, anyway?”

“Holly. Holly Sacre. As for why I broke out, it’s a long story.”

Putting down her mug, Luna handed Holly a cookie and pointed up at the clock on the wall. If she was surprised to hear Holly’s last name, she didn’t show any signs of it.

“Today’s my day off, so I’ve got plenty of time,” Luna said. “The cookie might not be great. I’m not very good at baking. Do you like mint tea? Or would you prefer black currant? I thought I had some lemon, but I guess I drank the last of it a while ago.”

“Mint’s fine,” Holly said. She took a small bite of the cookie. It wasn’t bad, just a bit burnt.

As the sunshine flickered through the windows of the small, modest kitchen, Holly told Luna her story.

By the end of the afternoon, the two were as close as old friends.

Holly's Character Sheet:

Holly Sacre

~~Imprisoned~~

Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 26

Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18

Might: 16 (+3)

Wit: 30

Faith: 7

Loyalty: 11

Adventurousness: 26

Guts: 40

Stealth: 17

Charisma: 9 (+1)

Greed: 25

Ambition: 28

Pride: 26

Manipulativeness: 6