Chapter #8You hesitate by: Unknown You start to bolt, but you catch yourself and stop in a kind of awkward false start. Is this some kind of cruel joke?
Your would-be captor doesn't budge. She taps her toes impatiently, looking off into the nearest pen.
Your mind lights up, running through all of the possible scenarios. There are two. You fight or you run. You know you have the worst physical stats possible in the game. She does not. You don't need your intelligence stat to figure that out. The truth is simple: while she wants you here, there is no way out. (Willpower -10)
She smiles as you deflate.
"When yer ready, ya can leave yer clothes on the floor there. They ain't really worth anything, but maybe I can use em for rags. Lots of messes in this line of work. The noseplugs I need back, you'll haf'ta get used to the stink of this place."
You look at her, expecting her to say something more but she doesn't. She made her expectations clear and she's waiting for you to obey.
Unwilling to inquire further with the metal gag in your mouth, you turn your head away and look at the floor. (Willpower -10)
No other option seems to present itself, so you obey, slowly, hoping to think of a way out of this.
You untie one of your boots and bend to pull it off. Another set of laces and the other boot. You peel your socks off and take the time to stuff each of them into one of your boots.
You begin to feel childish for your petty delay, but at this point it's all you have. You try to put your intelligence to work, but nothing happens. You toss your shirt into the growing pile.
Maybe you have to activate it somehow, lead it, or give it something to work with before it assists you. Maybe you haven't deduced anything new simply because you haven't gained any new information.
As you pull your belt off and slide out of your trousers your heart starts beating faster and you feel your face flush.
In this world your body looks scrawny and soft without its coverings. You're skinny enough to see your underlying bone structure, but too weak for muscle to show through the layer of fat that protects it.
You hesitate for a moment when you get to the noseplugs, suddenly more aware of the stagnant heat of the room, and the lingering taste of the odors in the air.
This all feels so surreal. Minutes ago, you were excited to start exploring the world of a brand new game. You pull the noseplugs off reluctantly and add them to the pile.
The stench of the room hits you like a truck. The concentrated animal stink washes over you. You see black spots at the edges of your vision and sway on your feet as it threatens to overwhelm you. For all the lies the goblin told you, she did not overstate the potency of these beasts.(K.O. Meter + 10)
You groan around your bit and shake your head to clear your vision. When you're certain you won't pass out, you pull off your underwear and toss it atop the pile -- a completed clothen cairn built from your naivete. (Willpower -10)
"Good boy. Let's get you settled in." (Willpower - 5)
You turn to the stable keeper as she speaks. She holds up a lead and points to the floor at her feet.
You look at her with pleading eyes, hoping she laughs and tells you this was all some elaborate prank. When she doesn't, you walk over and drop to your knees on the stable floor. (Willpower -15)
You look down at her expectantly, still taller than she is from your kneeling position.
She snaps her fingers, and when you follow the sound you find her hand pointing downward.
Your brain tingles and you are surprised to find that you understand the gesture intuitively.
Lower.
Beneath her.
You drop to all fours in the dirt. She fastens the lead while you stare down at the floor. A sharp tug signals that you need to follow. You crawl through the dirt as she pulls. The motion is unnatural and you struggle to keep up, passing stable after stable. You hear beasts stirring behind closed doors, but you never see them, the bars and openings are all far above your head.
"This is where you'll stay while yer with us. I'll come by after the front's closed up. Get some rest."
She ties your lead to the back of an unoccupied stall. The sound of her bare feet padding against the dirt floor fades. Now alone, your muffled shouts are drowned out by the sounds of your new neighbors.
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