FSE

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It might have taken hours or days to reach the edge of the forest - in the persistent night, James could not know which; he only knew the intimate screaming of his legs, begging for reprieve. Time was alien under the sealing canopy; he could have believed it was mid-day or midnight. Still, the duo trudged onwards through the unsettling quiet of slow life and death. He had assumed they were close to reaching their goal, however, as Harman's anticipation transformed from a gentle goad to hurried eagerness.

Soon, the emerald glow began to fade against the background of noisy illumination. The busy crowds of trees and shrubs thinned with little transition, making way for greater heaps of light to pour through the treetops. As they approached what seemed to be a wall of tall grasses and briars, Harman quenched the end of his staff and rushed forwards. Peering through the thorned vines and foxtails and goosegrass, he beckoned James to his side. Slowly, he approached the Lapin and peered through the brush to look where Harman was pointing.

"There lies the Haven," he whispered gently. "My partner will meet us just outside the walls, but we must have care you aren't seen, lest you desire unwanted attention."

James almost couldn't believe his eyes. As if from a storybook or some fantasy movie, he crouched before a giant, walled city. To the common eye, it appeared to be shaped from a single solid piece, and it extended in both direction for as far as the eye could see. It pierced the sky like a skyscraper, its crenellations contrasting starkly against what would otherwise be a smooth edge. He could see no gate or door or other entrance through the stone.

"There are a few things you should know about the Haven before we proceed." Harman started, drawing back from the edge of the forest. "Firstly, it is a lawless cistern of vile beings. If trouble comes your way, prepare yourself to fight or flee; diplomacy means nothing to these brutes. And there are no guards to keep peace, save for the Watch of the Wall; the common folk manage their own lives."

"Secondly, there is a code of conduct. If you violate the code, its inhabitants will be swift to deal their own justice. In this way, every 'citizen' is given the power of judge and jury. While there are a few nuanced, unwritten rules, the 4 core rules are this: Fights are for fists, not weapons; destructive magic is only ever destructive; if you get into a fight, it's over once someone's on the ground; and lastly, only take what you can get away with."

Taking in the information, James nodded slowly. The idea of a lawless society had always been played up in movies and books as either self-policed Wild West or some constantly-violent thieves' guild, but ether way he could not imagine there being peace within the city. This was no city he could have ever been familiar with, however, and still made the effort to grasp its culture.

Abruptly, Harman whistled through his digits, a quick series of chirps that could only have been some code. For a score of heartbeats, James waited nervously under the waning edge of the forest; the tension of stillness was almost unbearable. Who was Harman's companion, and where could they possibly come from? While James quietly contemplated his surroundings, Harman abruptly struck his staff into the earth, grasping firmly at its length as if to brace for some unseen impact. He began to ask what could possibly be coming, but a faint gusting interrupted his attempt, approaching from above. Against the golden rays of sunlight, he could make out a figure that seemed to be falling from the treetops directly in front of them. He held his breath in anticipation while the cloaked figure plummeted towards its demise.

The conclusion of inevitable impact was denied him, however, as giant wings opened at the last moment to halt his deadly fall to a gentle descent practically a hair's breadth from the ground. A torrent of wind propelled him from his feet while Harman held fast to the arcane wood. Even seemingly steadfast shrubs shook violently in the sudden gust, mushrooms and small grasses tumbling from their roots in dismay. The hooded figure landed softly and quickly entered through the brush, making hardly a sound. While Harman dislodged his staff and straightened his fur, James struggled to find footing; the dizziness from his tumble fogging his mind. Scrambling to his feet, the ground under and around him began glowing a faint gold, while eldritch runes and extravagantly-decorated circles bloomed from nowhere in particular. All at once, he felt a presence around him, a stillness. The world dimmed slightly, as if this sudden force sought to deny even the sun's nourishing rays.

Before him stood the new figure; it loomed over the rabbit, and even a solid head above himself. Though it was cloaked from tip to tail, he could tell it was some sort of bird, its petite beak protruding from under the cloak. A bejeweled morse pinned the edges of his cloak together, humming a soft yellow to itself. It took stock of its surroundings a moment further before Harman addressed the intruder.

"Always one for the dramatic," Harman accused. "You haven't changed a bit, Dart." The figure pulled back its hood to reveal the narrow head of what looked to be a sparrow or swallow. His head was crowned in periwinkle and crested with black edges, a stark contrast against the purest white of his plumage. The bird's eyes borrowed color from the sky, a softness that complimented the down of his face. The sides of his mouth pulled into a self-satisfactory grin while he gazed down at James.

"This must be the one," the Avis proclaimed with great satisfaction. "Stands out like a monk in a brothel!" He chuckled to himself quietly while Harman huffed, focusing on the human. "Indeed, he's a strange-looking beast."

"I'm standing right here, you overstuffed shuttlecock."

"Surely a thousand-thousand pardons are due, your majesty," Dart quipped, dropping to a low, patronizing bow; his hood flipping comically over his head as if to prove his jest worthy. A moment passed before he restored himself and turned his attention back to the Lapin. "Ornery one, isn't he?"

James felt impatience growing inside himself as well, eager for the conclusion of the exchange. "What exactly is going on here?" he asked anxiously. Both heads turned to regard him abruptly. With a flourish, Dart shuffled over next to him and placed a wing over his shoulder, drawing him close. "But of course, where are my manners?" he chirped softly. From under his garments, he produced a small, silver chain carrying a large, brilliant sapphire. Its deep blue glinted in the tenuous light, speaking of mysteries he could not descry.

"This, my lad, is a glamour." Dart held the chain higher in front of his face to let it twist and sway, gently casting arcane reflections onto the human's skin. "The wearer merely needs to recite the triggering phrase to begin its effects, and once again for them to cease."

"I had thought our agreement was to use no glamours!" Harman interjected.

But Dart ignored him, continuing his explanation. "This particular glamour will present you as a young, Grimalkin boy. It is doubtful you'll have need to feign ignorance of the world around you given your current straits, however it's likely still best you keep your mouth shut all the same." With a self-satisfactory grin, he shook the pendant in front of James expectantly.

Entranced by possibilities, James raised his right palm under the necklet, cupping the gem softly in his palm. It was remarkably cool to the touch, especially on such a warm day. Before he lost himself in the gem's promising glint, the Avis dropped the remainder into his waiting hand and leaned close to his ear. "The trigger phrase is 'Truth Knows No Fear'."

Dart stepped away to observe the transformation himself while James stared in disbelief at the power he now held. Turning it over in his hand, he inspected it for some hint of the power contained within it, but it was beyond his abilities; it told of no deeper meaning than what appeared to be a gaudy heirloom. "So I just put this around my neck and say the magic words then, right?"

Dart crowed softly in confirmation, nodding; "It is indeed that simple, my boy!"

Harman kicked up the dirt at his feet in obvious frustration, clearly upset by the present plan; but he kept his objections to himself, perhaps waiting to judge the results first-hand. With a shrug, James located and opened the clasp in his hands and strung it around his neck where it dangled gently. 'The pinnacle of fashion these days,' he thought to himself while he drummed up the courage to make the attempt. Holding his breath for a brief moment, he prepared himself for the next wave of humming magicks.

With a quiet sigh, he straightened his posture and began to recite the given phrase. "Truth knows no fear," he stated flatly while closing his eyes and tensing for what he assumed would be another wave of discomfort - but it never came. By degrees, he opened his eyes and began to inspect himself; his hands were still his own, the clothes he wore had not changed. Nothing. But still, his companions' reactions mirrored success. Harman wailed softly to himself in exasperation while Dart grinned widely in the achievement. Clearly something had happened, but he was excluded from its revelation.

After a handful of seconds had passed, Harman broke the forest's stillness. "What in Areanth is this meant to accomplish?" he fumed. Awkwardly, he paced in a small circle, thinning the tall grass into a bald patch. James could feel his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment, feeling foolish for playing along.

"This is stupid," he muttered, "I'm taking this thing off." In amusement, the Avis snorted to himself while James fuddled around, trying to locate the clasp. To his surprise, however, he could not locate it - in fact, he could not find the amulet at all.

"To protect against accidental removal, it melds with its user while active. You cannot remove it until you have deactivated it, and only your voice speaking the trigger will deactivate it now - or your death." Dart circled around him slowly, "And its effects are only plain to observers - you'll still look like you in your own eyes." He nodded in satisfaction and wandered back over to the Lapin, leaving James to contemplate the new information. "The rest of our supplies are hidden closer to the gate."

Harman shot up to his feet. "The rest of our supplies indeed!" He exclaimed, spraying spittle into the air. "This plan of yours is folly! It's feckless and impetuous and thoughtless!" He stomped up to the bird and pressed a finger into his chest. "I have no desire to associate with this level of vile scum! And besides," he tried to reason, "open and unregistered use of glamours within Haven's walls is not taken kindly. If we're caught, those degenerates will surely have our heads!"

James' heart skipped a beat before he absent-mindedly chimed in, "Great, something else that's bound to kill me. Why break pattern?"

"Exactly my point, kitten!" The Avis exclaimed, a new spring in his step carrying him closer to the forest's edge. "Well come on then, let's get at it! Slaves aren't going to sell themselves, now!" Harman rested his face within his palms as if to hide from the rest of the world. He let out an exasperated sigh, but silently he must have admitted defeat as he complied by springing to his feet and following him out. "One of these days you're going to get me killed," he muttered under his breath, "Then you'll be sorry."

In the time it took to draw a few more breaths, James stood in place watching them gather their things and trod on ahead. 'Slaves. What could possibly go wrong?'

~~~~~~~~~~

For what James could guess was a few hours, the company marched through the tall grass skirting the edge of the dense forest, the two creatures trading banter back and forth like old friends marching to their gallows. On infrequent occasions, Dart flew up into the treetops to estimate their progress, reporting simple measurements each time he returned. At first, 20 kilometers, then 16; then 9 remained. They were approaching their goal with steady determination that set a metronome for the falling, late-afternoon sun. With no familiarity to the others with which he might engage conversation, he spent a better portion of his time in contemplation, trying desperately to fathom all that had come to pass.

As best he could tell, the world operated largely the same way; the sky was blue, the grass was green, and he could breathe the air. The flora was mostly familiar - even gravity felt the same - so perhaps there was yet a morsel of truth to what Harman had said earlier. _ 'There's still the order of magic and talking animals'_ he thought quietly. He was greatly aware that he possessed neither the creativity nor intellect required to imagine such things on his own and was thus left contemplating how this all could be real if it indeed wasn't a dream. Vaguely, he recalled small snippets of information from high school biology, about why current conditions could not support such large creatures, but he couldn't shake the feeling that, being generally human-sized, they could feasibly exist. Magic itself also needed to have some sort of by-laws, but they violated everything he knew about chemistry or physics. 'How can a world like this even exist?'

While possibilities swirled about his head, Dart suddenly made effort to steal his attention, waving him deeper into the forest where he and Harman were waiting. Complying without a word, he accepted that this world was simply meant to defy his expectations - for now. As if reliving a recent dream, he was returned to the familiar gloom of the forest where his two companions were waiting expectantly. When he reached the small clearing where they were located, he fell to his knees in exhaustion, giving his body the rest it so desperately craved; he was a sprinter, not a marathon runner. After a moment, Dart cleared his throat to gain the party's attention.

"So here's the deal, kiddo: It's been all fun and games getting here, but now it's time to buckle down and get to business." His tone abruptly turned morose, alacrity making way for a grim reaper waiting to claim a death. "I know I've played this up to be a walk in the park, but we're going to need some serious cooperation to make everything work. The implications of what we're doing here are dire, and we can't turn back once we're inside."

He produced a small, ornately-clad dagger and handed it to James. Its silver and gold scabbard dazzled light from it in every direction, outlining the masterful craftsmanship of its creation. Delicately, James accepted the weapon, turning it over in his hands slowly to observe the handiwork; while he had no skill in wielding such things, he could certainly appreciate their quality. In no more than a few breaths, he unsheathed the knife to reveal a spectacular silver blade; it seemed to glow of its own accord, casting a soft light around itself. Its edges were honed so fine, he felt as if it could cut the very air surrounding it. In its reflection, he caught the first gaze of the glamour's effects, his altered form alien to his eyes. Indeed, Dart's bauble had made him catlike.

At first glance, he thought he might have taken the form of a small cheetah, but the spots on his face were much too large and open in the center. 'A leopard' he mouthed, rotating the blade in his hands to further investigate the foreign figure. More and more details revealed themselves to him as he panned downwards in curiosity: The overturned left ear - perhaps a mark of abuse - rich caramel fur mottled with open black spots. They seemed to form archaic characters he could not hope to translate, as though they spelled out some label of their purpose. Shifting the reflection downwards, he saw his small figure as a nearly-shivering mass not more than a meter and change tall. The tattered rags he wore were indistinct and broken, covering only the bare essentials of his body. As he tilted the blade back to search his face once more, Dart continued his preemptive explanation - but he was ensorcelled by the azure eyes staring back at him, pleading with him. He was only vaguely aware that Dart had continued speaking.

"James! We require your attention!" The familiar upset of the Lapin brought him back to the reality around him. "If you're quite through admiring yourself, we've much yet to discuss!" Immediately, James resealed the numinous blade within its home and muttered an apology while he shifted towards the ground. He reclined against a nearby log, soft with years of decay.

"It is well that you should study yourself, but we must move on to more important things." With attention back on him, Dart began his instruction. "There are a few extremely important rules you must follow at all cost while we are present within the Haven; at risk of our lives, you must respect them." James nodded softly, preparing himself to take in the pertinent information.

"First and foremost, you are a slave; end of story. You have no name, no family - hell, you'll barely be expected to have any emotion. You are property, and property doesn't think, feel or act unless its owner wills it. You will do as you're told without as much as a sniffle. Am I understood?" He nodded weakly in reply while he waited for the Avis to continue.

"Secondly, you do not speak unless spoken to; and even then I would caution you to consider silence. One word out of place and this will all be for naught. The key is brevity - yes or no; one- or two-word answers tops. If all goes as planned, however, you shouldn't have to speak a single word."

Dart paused his nervous pacing for a moment while he contemplated how to phrase the next requirement. His shoulders slumped at the conclusion of his internal dialog before he reached into the dirt and produced a large canvas sack. Tossing it at James' feet, it landed with a muffled, metallic clang.

"Thirdly - as much as it sickens me - youth slavery is a serious business through these parts. There are many rules and codes of conduct, and we'll likely be breaking a few of those, but the illusion of compliance must absolutely remain intact."

Sitting up, he pondered the implications of the bag and its contents while he pulled it closer to himself. Opening the top, speech was altogether wrest from him as it produced a set of black iron shackles and chains. Involuntarily, he shivered as he removed a lone brace from the bag, considering it with fascinated dread.

"You will have to wear them the entire time, unfortunately. The wrists lock to the neck brace and the ankles chain together. You will be entirely unable to run while wearing them." He shifted his gaze to the decaying forest floor, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "I'm sorry; there's just no other way I can pull this off. But there is more to -"

Abruptly, his explanation was cut short. "More? There's more to this insane plan of yours?" Harman's voice was set to pierce the heavens; James had never seen him properly angry before. "Hellfire, Dart! What sort of idiotic plan is this? Cub trafficking? Is that really the best chance we have?" A faint yellow bubble began to encapsulate the area, sourced from the gem securing Dart's garb. It continued to expand until it encompassed the entire company, after which he stamped his foot at the rabbit.

"You're the one who convinced me the gods could be summoned, and look where we're at! You played your part; bravo! Now it's time for me to hold up my end." His chest heaved in frustration, but he didn't pause long enough to allow the Lapin another word. "I've burned nearly every partner of mine to make this happen; by the time we reach the other side, my only friends will be the ones standing here now!"

Dart shuffled around anxiously, pacing in circled before continuing, "If there were any other options, surely I would have exercised them, but this is the only way we can make is safely through, undetected. The glamour is nearly flawless - only someone as skilled as its creator will be able to even detect it."

He spun around on his heel to face James now. "And furthermore, had I continued, I would have told you that those shackles are rigged. They can be disabled by the wearer if triggered correctly." The Avis stomped over and plucked the brace from James' hands, turning it over in his hands to display a fine slot on the edge. "See this indentation? This will trigger immediate release in an emergency; each shackle has one. This is why you will carry the dagger - its tip fits into the slot." He dropped it on the ground with a heavy thud. "But the mechanism is a challenge to reset; it will take time we won't have, so it can only be effectively used once. You must only attempt this if there is no other option to survive."

Dart stormed away from the company and plopped himself on a fallen tree, fuming wildly; he appeared to be on the verge of tears, but his eyes indicated they would spare none. "This endeavor has cost me all of my fortune and friends. You were right about him, and by hell I hope you're right about what's to come. Spare me a modicum of credit and let me be right for once."

Harman's expression softened while the silence stood uncomfortably, contemplating itself; clearly their quips against each other were a form of comradery built on the history of their friendship. Chagrined by his accusations, he approached cautiously and rested a furred paw on his shoulder. "My pardon, friend. Indeed these are trying times. Your knowledge here surpasses my own by leagues; I am grateful to have one as erudite as you to claim as my kin. Please forgive my accusations - I am out of my element."

Inwardly James sighed as he continued to assess the restraints. He had already come this far against his better judgment, and the prospect of fending for himself in the forest again was out of the question. Without a thought, he touched the back of his neck where the apparition had marked him, half expecting to feel a memory of chill where the icy touch had pierced him; but if any auguries lingered, they were hidden from him. He turned to face the consoled duo, interrupting only out of necessity, "So when I put these on, will the glamour make them appear smaller on me as well?"

A moment of stunned silence passed before Dart replied, "Yes. Well, sort of. Everything on or attached to you, for the most part, will be sized appropriately for the glamour." The swallow-tail paused for a moment to recompose himself before continuing, "The eyes of observers will not be able to tell the difference. Mind you now this is a glamour, not a transformation; the objects aren't changing size or shape, the magic within merely convinces observers to see what they expect to see given the circumstances. In summary, they think they're looking at a small Grimalkin cub because that's what the glamour is telling them they're seeing. For this reason you should avoid making any physical contact with others. Most of the entry patrols are staffed with your average dummy; they won't give a strange physical encounter a second thought. But the smart ones know what to look for, and will recognize it immediately."

James nodded in affirmation before posing one final question to the Avis, "I assume slaves also aren't supposed to have knives, right?" Dart nodded slowly, the familiar vigor beginning to reestablish itself. James tucked the scabbard into his shorts and flipped his shirt over it. "Does this hide it well enough?"

"I see no evidence you carry it." The Avis replied.

"Then I guess we should get going. I'm not getting any closer to returning to my world just standing around watching you two kiss and make up."

Dart let out a snort of amusement while Harman stood dumbfounded. "Great," the Lapin muttered, "now there's two of them."