[quote]“We need to—we need to head downwards, see where the sewers empty out, it might get us out of the city—”

"We need a plan- even if we get outside of the city it's not like we'll be much safer, there's just as many of them outside as there are in. Maybe there's somewhere inside that's still holding out?"

"Heh outside may not be any safer but do ya really think a city so sealed away from the outside like it is will have anythin' to stronghold yerself in. Not like havin' walls would help ya any against whatever the hell those were. On the other hand there ain't any way out in these sewers. Anyways I think it's about time I got that explanation ya owe me, eh?"[/quote]

[b]"The explanation of everything is that reality only exists in your own mind."[/b]

A voice echoed ahead of them, where -- as their eyes adjusted to the dim light -- a shaft of smoky sunlight highlighted the worn edges of a rusting mech. It was sitting on a bent leg, tilted sadly in a pool of brackish water. The cap that usually protected the driver was missing, and all the knobs and levers were exposed.

[b]"Your senses are all just triggers for your brain, and your brain interprets them to mean what you call 'reality.' So really, reality is anything you want to make it. A way out, for example. Maybe these sewers really smell like cotton candy and lavender. Maybe those demons aren't real. It's all in your head."[/b]

A young boy -- a few years older than Scarlett -- poked his head out of the mech and folded his arms on its edge, grinning. [b]"Money's just made up, too. It has no inherent value other than what people give to it. So you might as well pay up."[/b] He reached out a dirty hand and crooked his fingers for cash. There was a sigil drawn on the back of his hand. [b]"I'll tell you how to get out."[/b]

[hr]
[quote]"What in the bloody bollocking hell piss is happening?!"

Small, frightened hope flickered in her chest, that this would be some sort of help, that it wouldn't be just her trying to survive in a world more harsh than she was prepared for. 

She turned and hurried up the fire escape.[/quote]

The fairy hovered high and watched as Meryn made quick work of the old fire escape. Rusted metal skiffed and snapped into place.

And then, there was the dirty one that smelled like happyroot.

The fairy flashed in anger and buzzed in front of Ronken's face. [b]"What's happening is you're going to die if you stand here yabbering."[/b] It grabbed a fistful of Ronken's hair and yanked toward the fire escape, though this did nothing but cause a bit of discomfort on Ronken's part.

The infected tree-demon that was skittering like a rabid dog toward Ronken's heels, though, promised a very different sensation were it allowed to catch up.

The fairy let go in a huff, spiraled in the air, and whizzed upward after Meryn -- just to narrowly avoid being sprayed with musket shot. The fairy screeched and hid behind Meryn's shoulder just as a tree demon behind Meryn toppled head-over-heels to the street far below. The woman on the roof peered down at Meryn over the sight of a smoking musket, her sooty face as expressionless as stone.

After a moment, the woman lowered her weapon and offered a hand to help Meryn up onto the roof. [b]"You're lucky, street performer,"[/b] she said, making an assumption about Meryn's mask and acrobatics; she reloaded the musket and set her sight on the demon that was chasing Ronken.

Behind her, a younger boy stood at another side of the roof with a quiver of arrows and a bucket of burning coals at his side. He took careful aim and let loose a fiery arrow into the alley.

[b]"How's the road to the palace?"[/b] the woman asked Meryn. [b]"Could we make it through without wasting ammo?"[/b]

The boy-archer waved a fiery arrow and smirked. [b]"It's a fine day to overthrow the government."[/b]

The fairy lighted on Meryn's shoulder. [b]"What we should be doing is getting underground before that portal opens."[/b] It pointed to the sky, where the beam of light disappeared into the clouds. [b]"Or we could be sucked up along with the demons."[/b]

The woman stared steadily at the fairy. [b]"What's that, a mosquito?"[/b]