Changeling-Earth 2: Freehold Earth - The Tenpenny Clan Goblin Market

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Looking at Roach, Khalid/Josef says, "I need to put my mask back on now. It's the signature of the Gentry who owns me. I need to keep it on to maintain appearances."

He puts the mask with some reluctance and can be heard to whisper,

"One last time."

Looking to Saffron, he smiles, or appears to behind his mask. Turning to Billy,

"I will tend to those who are brought to me, but will try to avoid borrowing trouble."

[Rorx]

Billy's face briefly drops in shock, before hardening with resolve.

"There's none so blind as those that don't want to see is there 'Josef'. I wondered what Saffron was doing with you and now we know. She's your Keeper, here ot make sure you go along with you Fae master's desires and to go home to them at the end of the tourney. I suspect that Orderly here answers as much o more to her as he does to you as well, here to help keep you in line. After all, you said it youself just now, their medical knowledge is 19th century."

He turns to face Orderly and Saffron, hands twitching caught just in his control from either balling to fists or spreading as claws.

"So what are you going to do if he has decided to come back with us to the ship? Will Slasher be fighting more than once today, is that your plan? Because you can be damn sure the rest of us are not going back to being under anyone's control again!"

[Dawn OOC]

Saffron's dark eyes flew open behind her mask and the mask itself looked shocked and angry. "How dare you!" she snapped, her hands clenching shut. "I'm-"

A horn sounded, blaring over the marketplace. It was low and gutteral, raising hair on even the non-Beasts. "Fae!" someone screamed.

"No, it's not!" another cried. Other voices rose. While everyone had a differing opinion about what had caused the Tenpenny's to sound their warning, all were in agreement to leave.

Tyrol's familiar voice rose over the growing bedlam. "Everyone out! Run. Leave everything! Run!"

Saffron turned to Josef. "The chest," she gasped, her hands fluttering anxiously as she looked at the wooden cabinet off to the side. "We can't... we have to bring it!"

Somewhere, something keened over the frightened cries of panicking Changelings and goblins. The cry brought despair to all who heard it.

[OOC: You have limited time to decide what to do. Please react accordingly. I'll give people time to respond, then things will happen.]

[Rorx]

With a heartfelt "Shit!" Billy starts pulling apart the bundle of long sticks he had left here when they went for Roach.

Briefly turning his head towards the flap of the tent he shouts "Tim, Fingers, we're bailing out!"

He turns to Roach as he pulls his shotgun from it's hiding place amongst the branches and sticks, and pumps a shell into the breach.

"Fancy a piggyback ride Roach? It might be faster."

Without waiting for a reply for Roach he continues his turn to face Saffron.

"Lady, if I was wrong I'm sorry, but right now I'd rather get out of here and live to discuss it later. If you are coming and need that box, then I'd suggest Orderly may be the best person to carry it."

Louder to them all as he straightens as much as he can inside the tent, ears perked and twitching for more information, "Let's hussle people, we don't have much time!"

[SalmonMax]

"But...I thought..." Now hopelessly confused, Rochelle shakes her head at Billy. "I don't want to be carried. I won't slow us down. Lets just go!"

"I remember seeing one of these aliens," she abruptly remembers. "Getting shot hurts them, but doesn't seem to kill them the way it does us. Our best bet is just to run. That's what we did at the Manifest Destiny."

[Rorx]

"Yeah, I don't intend trying to shoot one of Them with it, but it might help clear a path through their servants or troops to help us get clear."

He looks around at the equipment and herbs in the tent.

"We could do with this equipment, or at the very least there is benefit in denying it to them."

Tim ducks into the tent, quickly followed by Fingers."It's chaos out here, people are running around like headless chickens, there's no consensus on which way to run yet."

"Ok, everybody grab a bag or sheet full of stuff, but try not to load yourself down too much, we will probably have to run at some points. Once you have a load you are happy with, step outside the tent."

As he says this Billy grabs a sheet off the 'operating table', folds it in half and scoops a load of nearby instruments and herbs into the middle of the sheet before bringing the four corners together and tucks them securely into his belt on the left side. That done he steps out of the tent to see what he can make of the situation.

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Khalid/Josef runs over and rolls up the leather case holding his personal tool set. At the same time, he calls out to Orderly,

"Grab Saffron's chest. It is time we were leaving."

Tool kit rolled up, he reaches out for Saffron's hand.

"Time to start running again," he grins.

His gaze slips back to Orderly. There is not leaving without Saffron's case. Any escape for her would be pointless and he wouldn't have that. He would carry the case himself if he had to.

[Dawn OOC]

Orderly nodded and reached for the chest, picking it up in his massive arms. "Are we leaving the surgery table?" he asked, casting a worried glance at Saffron. He couldn't carry both.

Khalid nodded. "We have the tools we need."

Saffron grabbed her pack, slinging it over her shoulders. "Food," she said to Khalid when he glanced questioningly at her. Her hand tightened around his.

Gabriel looked concerned, then shrugged and stood up. "What can I get?"

Fingers shoved a sack into his hands. "Supplies. Don't lose them, Big Guy." Gabriel nodded, shaking his long red hair out of his eyes. Tim already had an armful of things.

Another cry pierced the night as the fugitives stepped out of their tent. The crowd was surging toward the East, disappearing into the dark hedge of trees beyond. A giant quadipedal lizard, looking something like a dragon, was waiting for them. "Sssssaffron," it hissed, "where are weeee goooing?"

[Khalid Al-jamari]

"For the love of Allah the All-Knowing, what now," Khalid/Josef sighes. Half-turning to Saffron, he wants to ask, 'Do you know this creature?', but instead he calls out to the dragon,

"She going with me. Something horrible is coming this way and we need to get to the shelter of the woods. You are welcome to run along with us."

He wasn't really hoping the creature would come along, of course, but he had to be polite. Shaitan, this could be the creature everyone was running from. Such was life.

The beleagured doctor kept hold of Saffron's hand and tried to lead her away to the woods and their relatively safety.

[Rorx]

Billy takes in the fleeing crowd and the interchange between the dragonish being and Josef and calls out to everyone as they emerge together into the chaotic scene.

"We'll head east with the others for now and break off in about a mile or when Tim or I tell you to. Hopefully we can avoid any pursuit and thinking of heading back towards the ship soon. Anyone passing one of the clothing stalls on the way out grab some stuff in passing. We'll try to adapt it for Roach and Gabriel later on. Our path will also take us past the food stalls, so grab what you can without it slowing you down on the way. Tim, Fingers and Saffron, keep an eye out for loose or available goblin fruit as we go through."

With a last look over them and the situation he addresses first the dragonkin and then the group.

"I assume you're Slasher, just come from the arena? Stick close to Saffron and Josef then. Everyone else lets move out!"

Once everyone is moving at a rough walk/jog that they should be able to keep up for a while, Billy moves over to Tim.

"Keep them moving at a steady pace, we'll have to circle or herd them to try to make sure we all stick together. Some of this crowd will overtake us initially but soon run out of energy and we'll overtake them again. I'll take tail-end charlie position to begin with. Head off left into the woods away from the crowd after either an hour or 1 mile."

[Dawn OOC]

"It is Slasher," Saffron murmured to Khalid, her mask's white lips close to his ear. "He looks like this when he gets away from our master for long enough. It usually... well, I don't think I've seen it happen this fast." She frowned and looked troubled, then hoisted her bag on her shoulder.

The night grew cold as the group moved away from the Market, especially once they left the the path, leaving the press of people. Once, they heard screaming behind them, and soon, the sky reflected an ugly red from where the Market stood. Gradually, the flames became visable over the trees, and no one wanted to look back any longer.

Looking forward, even to an uncertain future, was much more pleasant.

[To be Continued in The Hedge]