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They had been wandering through the desert for what seemed like an eternity. Even the melancholy keening of the wind had blown itself out and was nothing but a lamenting sigh. Umbrielle struggled to keep her attention focused. Anything could be a threat, but the endless sharp rocks and beige sand made it difficult to focus. After what might as well have been a thousand years in their eternal, interminable wandering, a dark shape resolved itself on the horizon. As it came into view, her eyes and brain struggled to come to terms with what she was seeing. Surely, surely, there was no way something so huge could be…
“The Claudian Wall,” TItus murmured. It was so tall, it seemed to touch the heavens. It was so wide, Umbrielle couldn’t see the end of it in either direction. It seemed almost insurmountable.
Appius froze. “It isn’t Iunius third, is it?”
“I think it is,” his brother replied, “why?”
“Because… that was the day Papa wanted all the wall guards withdrawn to the northern frontier.”
Titus cursed. “Who will unlock the gate for us then?”
“I will,” Umbrielle replied.
“But you see, only our father has the key.” Titus pointed out.
Umbrielle rolled her eyes and pulled a hairpin out of her pocket. “Your father is an idiot. I know for a fact lock-picking was already around in his time, so he should’ve considered the possibility.
“He… he won’t be happy about this when he finds out,” murmured Appius.
“His problem, not mine.” Within three minutes, they were across to the other side of the wall, where…
“What on earth is that?” Umbrielle asked, mildly disgusted.
“It’s the Grosso Topo Warrior! The most fearsome beast in all the armies of-”
“It’s a morbidly obese rat”
“It’s faster than it looks!”
“It looks as if a snail could outrun it!”
Appius was cowering behind Titus in an attempt to get out of the thing’s sight. It was terrifying in the way a gigantic cockroach was terrifying, but not a “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES” type of terrifying. Its fur was a dull grey, its claws an indeterminite shade of off-white. Its own personal miasma hovered around it, taking up practically the entire bridge. On the whole, she was slightly disappointed. Her mother would hardly be impressed by the story that it had taken three people to vanquish this oversized punching bag-
Umbrielle paused. The beast’s eyes, glowing scarlet embers, glittered with intelligence. It stood up, raising its massive sword, and Umbrielle quickly realised she had misjudged it…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The social challenge takes too much context to explain here. I'm sorry - I didn't get much time for writing...
“The Claudian Wall,” TItus murmured. It was so tall, it seemed to touch the heavens. It was so wide, Umbrielle couldn’t see the end of it in either direction. It seemed almost insurmountable.
Appius froze. “It isn’t Iunius third, is it?”
“I think it is,” his brother replied, “why?”
“Because… that was the day Papa wanted all the wall guards withdrawn to the northern frontier.”
Titus cursed. “Who will unlock the gate for us then?”
“I will,” Umbrielle replied.
“But you see, only our father has the key.” Titus pointed out.
Umbrielle rolled her eyes and pulled a hairpin out of her pocket. “Your father is an idiot. I know for a fact lock-picking was already around in his time, so he should’ve considered the possibility.
“He… he won’t be happy about this when he finds out,” murmured Appius.
“His problem, not mine.” Within three minutes, they were across to the other side of the wall, where…
“What on earth is that?” Umbrielle asked, mildly disgusted.
“It’s the Grosso Topo Warrior! The most fearsome beast in all the armies of-”
“It’s a morbidly obese rat”
“It’s faster than it looks!”
“It looks as if a snail could outrun it!”
Appius was cowering behind Titus in an attempt to get out of the thing’s sight. It was terrifying in the way a gigantic cockroach was terrifying, but not a “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES” type of terrifying. Its fur was a dull grey, its claws an indeterminite shade of off-white. Its own personal miasma hovered around it, taking up practically the entire bridge. On the whole, she was slightly disappointed. Her mother would hardly be impressed by the story that it had taken three people to vanquish this oversized punching bag-
Umbrielle paused. The beast’s eyes, glowing scarlet embers, glittered with intelligence. It stood up, raising its massive sword, and Umbrielle quickly realised she had misjudged it…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The social challenge takes too much context to explain here. I'm sorry - I didn't get much time for writing...