Secrets Beyond Time

Unlikely Pair

Juice was already buzzing with energy after a stress free night of sleeping. Without a second thought Juice grabbed the apple core from the night prior and strode confidently towards the end of the alley. But as he neared the chaotic voices of people echoed in his ears. It sounded as if a fight was breaking out, or possibly today was busier than normal. Due to the commotion all of Juice's confidence drained within mere seconds, and his heart dropped to his chest. 

A massive festival,  no, but something nearby was happening. A crowd flooded the streets, blocking the entrance to a nearby Tavern. People flowed in and out of the bar, this was Juice's worst fear, seas of people. 

He began to shrink into himself, slowly weaving through the people around him. He'd let out an occasional murmur of "I'm sorry, excuse me, sorry." As he graced the people around him. As it all became too much for him he quickly slipped behind a nearby barrel, pressing his back against it as his heart pounded in his ears. "I cant do this." Panic was quickly clawing its way to Juice's chest as he gripped it with his claws. "Ace... I'll find Ace." he muttered to himself, trying to seek some sort of comfort to calm himself down. "I'll just find him, he's helped me before I'm sure he'll help again." 

Juice closed his eyes, taking a few precious moments to to steady his breathing. His heart began to steady out as he focused solely on his breathing, the voices around him seemed to be fading out as he lot himself in his thoughts. Once he seemed to regain composure he set his claws on the edge of the barrel, they barely grace a soft texture as he peered over the end of the barrel. He spotted a long raggedy brown cloth covering what looked to be a barrel of dead fish. In one swift action, Juice grabbed the cloth and quickly covered himself where he felt a sense of ease yet again. He tied the cloth around his neck and made a makeshift cloak and hood that hid all of the blood and grim covering his body and clothes. Again, despite the strong smell of dead fish, he found comfort. 

With his head now down and covered he weaved through the sea of people once more. He finally felt like he blended in, and to his surprise it was working, he wasn't receiving any side glances or any weird looks. After what felt like an eternity Juice dared to glance up at the unknowing world around him. 

The world was still grimy and dark, but there was a strange beauty to it. Magic lanterns flickered with different colors, casting a wide variety of hues to the odd, sharp and unknown textures of the buildings. The towering rocks surrounding the entire underground loomed overhead. In the center of the city was a large root of some kind, like a tree root, which leaked faint rays of sunlight into the center of the Underground. 

"A cave?" Juice asked himself before finally connecting the pieces together in realization. "A ravine, in the middle of a forest? With a large tree? Is that the exit?" Juice questioned himself, but he was so mesmerized by the sunlight his thoughts seemed to vanish. But before he could get any closer a hand yanked him back into a dark alley, which caused him to drop his apple core on the ground behind him. 

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice hissed. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Stay away from the town center." 

"Why?" Juice spat back, meeting Ace's gaze with his own dull olive ones. "I'm going to escape, that has to be the way." 

"The way to die." Ace warned as he glanced over towards the town center. "That's Elven territory, the center is mostly for more reformed criminals and its heavily guarded." 

Juice glanced down, his hand brushing against the cold surface of the nearby building. "Why do you even care? Why tell me this?" Juice muttered.

Ace's gaze was serious as he spoke to Juice. "Because you aren't leaving that way."