Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Freedom In Exile ❯ Avernum ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Man!!! It took me forever to get this chapter
out! Which is really quite stupid, since I already
had this one written, just like I already have the next
few chapters written.

I'm willing to change things though, if
anyone has any suggestions. I know Ranma is a OOC,
and Usagi too, so if anyone knows what would make
them more in character please do tell!! And you know, I' really lazy, the disclaimer's on the first
page, and that's it.









Freedom In Exile: Chapter 2 Avernum



After Ranma had stumbled out of the fiery red portal
it took a moment for him to get over the feeling that his
skin was on fire. It's not very pleasant you know, the
feeling that your skin is on fire.



Next to him Usagi fell to her knees and preceded to vomit
up the filthy gruel they had been fed as their "last
supper". She was probably better off without it in her
system anyway.


Once they had got over the intense nausea caused when
their bodies had been torn into a million pieces and then
put back together {also a very unpleasant sensation},
Usagi and Ranma got a chance to look around at, the one
and only, Fort Avernum.



It took only a few moments to conclude that ,despite the
rumors on the surface, Avernum was quite humid. As far
up as they could see there was never ending darkness, as
was to be expected considering how far under the surface
world they were. In fact, if it weren't for the hundreds of
magically lighted torches and lamps, that never went out,
they probably wouldn't have been able to see anything.



The portal they had come through was located on the
top of a small hill. They walked a few feet away from it,
just standing near it made the hairs on the backs of their
necks stand up. Leading down the hill was a small path,
which at the bottom of the hill, divided into more paths
that led through the fort. At the base of the hill there
stood a middle aged man who seemed to be waiting for
them. Since he was looking straight at them and one waving, they assumed he was waiting for them.



Usagi looked at Ranma"Do you think we should talk to him?" Ranma shrugged,"I
guess. We don't have much else we can do."


So they began making their way down the hill, and the
man watching them grinned as they approached. He
looked rather odd, with very pale skin and dull eyes. His
choice of clothing was odd also, in the Empire all clothing
was made from cotton and wool, but his clothes were of
another strange material.



He beamed brightly att them, ' Hello!! My name is
Edwyll. I'm here to help you." Ranma snorted, "Help
us? How can you possibly help us? Do you know a way
back to the surface? Are you gonna give us money?"

Edwyll seemed to ignore the first question and laughed,"
I'm afraid not. I barely have enough money to feed
myself. But I can tell you who will give you money, and
supplies, as well as who to go to for information."



Usagi held up the folders she had been handed before
they threw her into the portal," What about these?"
Edwyll glanced at them for a moment, a spark of curiosity
flickering through his eyes when he saw the red stamp on
the front, and then said," Those contain your entire life
history. Your every weakness, every strength, and
everything there could possibly be to know about you."

"Why do they need these?" Ranma figured they
didn't have much time for paperwork down here in
Avernum, since there were so many monsters, but he
supposed he could be wrong. But, how did they get all
that information anyway?


"Well, you see," Edwyll explained," We've had some
incidents in the past where people have gone insane, if they
weren't already, and started massacres. This information
can be very helpful, so you need to take your folders to
Petelly, his office is on the southeast corner of town. A
few doors down from that is Laurel's shop. She'll give
you money and supplies so you'll at least have some
chance of surviving here."



Ranma of course, took that as an insult, which it most likely was. Did this
guy think they were just some average witch and thief?
The nerve of that guy!! Ranma was just about to show
him how much of a chance he had when Usagi, and her
great timing, interrupted. " Well, Mister Edwyll, thank
you for the help. We'll be sure to take your advice." And then she smiled a sugary sweet smile that
got her whatever she wanted.



Edwyll just grinned and walked away towards a
building to the northwest called "Thor's Tavern." "We
should get going, Ranma, there's no use just standing
here. Besides, I'm hungry."
[Ranma 's P.O.V]



"You're always hungry, Usa."



Not that I was one to be talking though, I was
starving myself. I had refused to eat the gunk they gave
me at the surface prison, and I doubt that it had been very
feeling for Usagi. Besides, she had thrown it up anyway.



Usagi stuck her tongue at me playfully and I grinned back
at her. Lately Usagi had become way too serious, nothing
like the Usagi I knew.{not that I could blame her} As bad
as things were, maybe being out of the Empire's reach
would help both of us relax. Even if we were in
Avernum, at least we would be able to escape the past that
haunted us on the surface world.



We made our way to the southeast corner of the fort,
just like Edwyll told us to. We passed many people while
walking, all who wore the same style clothing as that
stupid jerk Edwyll. They were all very pale too, like they
hadn't seen real light in a long time, and I suppose most
of them hadn't. Another thing that stood our was that
almost everybody, even the few children we saw, carried
weapons. There must really be a lot of monsters down
here, and bad ones too.



"I think this is it." I looked up at what Usagi was
referring to. A long row of doors ,longer than I'd ever
seen before, was in front of us. On all of the doors there
were plagues that said, I guess, what was inside. The door
in front of me read " Laurels Supplies", and a few doors
down Usagi was looking at a door marked "Petelly 's
Paperwork".



I was really hungry, and wanted to get this over with as
soon as possible so I could get something to eat. "Maybe
you should go to Petelly's, Usagi, and I'll get the
supplies." Usagi nodded," If you get out first, wait for
me, k? And try to get as much information about this
place as you can, I have a feeling we're gonna need it."

I nodded and we went our separate ways.




[Usagi's P.O.V.]



The moment I walked into Petelly 's office I had to hold
back sneezes. The place was so dusty, and messy, I
wouldn't be surprised if he had dust cows instead of dust
bunnies. Sure, I'm not exactly the cleanest person in the world,
but this was going way to far. The floor was covered with
scattered papers, and everywhere I looked there were
huge stacks of paper probably as tall as me.


In the back of the room there was a cluttered desk
and a man, who I guess was Petelly. He was small, short,
and wore the same clothing as every on else I has seen.
When I walked up to him he looked at me nervously and
fidgeted. I know I must look horrible, I haven't bathed in days, but I can't be that bad.


"Are you Mr. Petelly?" I made my voice extra
sugary sweet. He nodded and I smiled even wider," I
have some folders for you." He looked very relieved.
"Ah, yes. New victim from the Empire to the Exile, eh?
Come here, come here."



I carefully stepped over the papers on the floor and made
my way up to his desk. He had a bunch of folders, just
like mine, scattered across the desk. Petelly just looked at
me for a moment, his eyes raking over my small frame,
staring intensely at my potion stained hands, glancing at
my silvery hair, and then finally resting on the eight-
pointed star tattooed on my forehead. " You are from
Ivanor, eh?" I nodded, people from Ivanor always stood
out. With light hair, light eyes, tattoos and wands.{almost
everyone from Ivanor was a magik worker of some sort}
"My name's Usagi. Usagi Tsuki Artizane."


Petelly reached out his hand and took the folders
from me. After flipping through both folders, stopping
more than once with the same look Edwyll had flickering
across his face, he put them down on his desk. "Come
down with a partner, eh? Always better that way, always
easier then be'in alone down here. Two of you must of
done something pretty bad to get down here for classified
reasons. I go through all the folders, and I hardly ever get a classified."


I nodded and shifted uncomfortably. If only he
knew!! "We'll, Mr. Petelly, I'd rather not talk about it.
But I would like to talk about this place, Avernum. I
don't know much." Petelly laughed, it was weak and
squeaky," Yes, Yes, they always want to know. Make
yourself comfortable, Artizane, this might take awhile."




[Author's P.O.V. ]




Ranma went through the items before him. A metal
sword [ poorly made] , a wooden wand [ probably not all
that great either] , one long skirt and a pair of pants, two
shirts {who knew what they were made of], and bag of
dried mushrooms and raw lizard haunches, and a very,
very, small bag of gold. Not only would the supplies
help, but so would the information he had just received.


Ranma grinned," Thanks, Ms. Luriel." The kind,
plump, brunette behind the counter smiled at him," Don't
even think about it, child. I can remember back when I
was sent down, we didn't even have a crumb of food to
eat! Besides, the minuet I saw you walk into my shop I
knew there was something special about you. I can feel it
in the air, you and your little sorcerer friend are gonna do
something big, Just remember what I told you." Mis.
Luriel winked at him and turned back to her business.

Ranma sighed and gathered up the supplies. It was
all he could do to hope that Ms. Luriel was right.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Avalon: All right!! Second chapter!!~~~~~~~~~~`




S---- Here's another chapter, and, as you can see, they
went into Exile. {Hands S chocolate-chip cookie for
reviewing.}






Mike Dean---- Thanks for the suggestion!!! That's a
good idea, I'll have to see if it works out. Harry Potter
would fit in great, but I don't if it'll actually be Harry
Potter down there. {hands out a chocolate-chip cookie}







ChibiChaos About the rebellion thing, you'll find out
about that later. And on the subject of Usagi and
Ranma..... if you really like them then you should like the
next chapter, it's got some of that pairing. No pairings
are for sure though, as more characters are yet to come.
{hands ChibiChaos chocolate-chip cookie}






Avalon: All right!! If you want a cookie too then you
should review!! Pleaseee!!!!