[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CuiVVqs.png[/img][/center]

[color=FFB5BB]Time:[/color]Morning
[color=FFB5BB]Location:[/color]Roshmi slums of the city
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/i9LcPxC.png[/img][/center]

Clara's head was whirling. Not only had she been to a ball filled with fantasy creatures, but she had also seen an actual giant demon. It had been bigger than anything she had even imagined, even dinosaurs. To her terror, it actually started eating people, so of course, she and her elf companions cleared right out of there, as Daphna grumbled about how she told them going was a bad idea. Clara begged to differ. She had hoped to meet other humans, but at least she had gotten to see all different creatures. No one could have ever hoped to back in her town to see a ball like that. Clara had even got a tip to go to some port town down west of Roshmi. Not to mention, she had gotten to wear a gown like a princess, just like the beautiful fairy princess that had spoken so bravely to everyone. 
 
It was all so wonderful and horrifying at the same time. She was still waiting for a director to yell 'cut" as people emerged from the bushes with camera equipment. Nonetheless, as confusing as all was, Clara had begun to accept after the long week that this was all her reality now and there was no point wasting even a drop of it on questioning. She was in a fantasy story just as she had day-dreamed as a child, except she hadn't imagined all the terror that came with it, but she was grateful just the same. Maybe there was a God and he had given her just as she had always wished. She'd be stupid to complain.

Two elves flanked Clara on each side as they moved through the thick crowd of lower-class demihumans, all wearing hoods just as she did. Getting out of Roshmi had become a big problem at this point. After the ball, the whole city had been locked down in only a few hours. The dark elves were all around the city and all within it, checking any elves by pulling on their ears and killing anyone who seemed suspicious without a second thought. The revolting had stopped in the late night and been mostly quieted down now. Martial law was in place, meaning there was a curfew and dark elves were everywhere, doing whatever they wanted until Aklenroth's army showed up to make things worse. Miako had told her it was imperative they get out of here before then. 

Clara had suggested that perhaps there was an underground system. Back on Earth, underground sewers were a normal thing, so she wondered if there was even a tunnel system under the city. It made sense considering these people were half-animal, so she figured some of them were prefer being under the ground. According to Miako, she had been onto something very true so the five of them were now trying to find a way under. Apparently, these elves hadn't spent a lot of time here before.

She nudged Miako as he moved next to her and whispered as she pointed to a food vendor, [color=FFB5BB]"Breakfast time? Can't go sewer diving on an empty stomach."[/color]

He shook his head, replying, [color=7bcdc8]"We can't talk to anyone. Just gotta get out as quick as possible. Keep your head down."[/color]With a bit of depleting patience, he took her head in his hand and lowered it forcefully toward the ground. She had been whispering to them every so often to comment on things and giggle with Daphna,[color=7bcdc8]"Don't giggle. Don't whisper."[/color]

Clara bit her lip. The elf had usually been very gentle with her, so she knew he was serious with these words. She kept her mouth shut as she glanced along the road and in alleyways, trying to find a possible sewer entrance. However, all five of them suddenly stiffened as the following words reached their ears:

[center][color=f7976a]"Ears please."[/color][/center]

Just ahead of them, a couple of elves were being examined by dark elves. Miako immediately took a sharp left turn into an alleyway, and she followed behind with the other elves. However, waiting right at the end of the alleyway was a dark elf, who grinned maliciously, quite sure of himself of what he was dealing with. 

[color=7bcdc8]"Is there a problem, sir?"[/color]Miako asked calmly, trying to play it off, but to all of their surprise, the dark elf simply stabbed him through the chest with a sword in reply. Daphna took her hand and pulled her into a run back out of the alleyway. The other two elves didn't seem to follow to Clara's knowledge, but they had been in the grip of dark magic way before they could even move. 

Clara's eyes watered but she felt numb in the heat of the movement as she ran. Once at the back at the entrance into the road they had initially been on, they were face to face with more dark elves. A female immediately grabbed Daphna as she weakly told Clara to run. 

[color=FFB5BB]"No! Let her go!"[/color]Clara cried and watched with distress as she was killed swiftly, a knife slitting her throat. He let go of Daphna, her body dropping to the floor with a thud. She stared with horror as he moved toward her. [color=FFB5BB]"No wonder you were exiled."[/color]She snapped at him, and immediately turned back to run into the middle of the alleyway. She knew this next idea was probably dumb, so she decided not to think through it. Clara concentrated on lifting the earth beneath her feet swiftly, dirt and sand breaking through the cobblestone beneath them, particles flying into the eyes of her pursuers as they reached for her. She hopped on to the adjacent roof as elves came toward her from both sides. She ran across the roof, gaining the attention of all around. Balls of dark magic and arrows just nearly missed her as she did a front flip over some of them on to the roof of the next building. She then slid down the slanted roof into another alleyway as soon as she spotted a material that was gleaming in the light. 

[color=FFB5BB][i]Fuck. Please.[/i][/color] 

She mentally begged as she waved her hand, moving dirt and items that had been covering the metal she had seen. She waved her hand again with a sigh of relief as she saw it was a round piece of metal that was obviously an entrance to below. Clara jumped inside and rolled on the hard ground beneath with a groan. The sound of incoming steps was still audible as she focused on covering the entrance again. She was sure glad she had changed into some pants today.

Clara scrambled to her feet, her ankles aching as she glanced up and down the dark, underground tunnel. There was a narrow canal of water a few feet away and it was definitely dank and gross enough to be a sewer. Tears brimmed in her eyes as everything set in. This was terrible. They were all dead. She hadn't known them long, but it still hurt to see the elves that had taken care of her and protected her lose their lives.

What was she supposed to do now? Could she do this alone?

Clara glanced up as the muffled sounds of yells and racing footsteps above her dimly reached her ears. She had no choice but to continue on. She hoped at least this tunnel could get her out of this town because if she wasn't in danger before, she definitely was now. The amount of sheer luck involved in her escape was incredible. They'd have wanted posters with her face on it up in no time.

With an exhale, she tried to mentally put all the horror behind her and move forward through the tunnel.