Alluim City

Alluim City Chapter One

Bailey slid past the two sleeping guards, making a mental note that when those two dunderheads were on duty, he was perfectly safe creeping Fox's old tunnels by lamplight. He twisted into a corner to avoid Fox herself, who was charging down the tunnel at full speed. He watched her disappear around a corner, and heard her snap at the two guards to wake up.
Two years ago, a creature named the Shadow arose from the darkness of the deep underground, and was released upon the mortal world, wreaking havoc across the entirety of the dimension spread. On his way, he menaced Bailey's dimension in particular, completely destroying their peaceful agrarian society, burning down homes and releasing minor demons to hunt down and kill livestock, making the whole place a war zone, completely inhabitable.
That's when Governors Noerris and Fox came in. Two teenage girls at the time, came sprinting down the mountains, rumored to appear in a flash of light, with a pack of wolves howling behind them. They told everyone that they had found a at to survive, and led them all underground, into a utopia of tunnels, underground pools, and artificial suns capable of growing plants.
Each person was assigned a tiny bedroom and given plenty of food, and as the city expanded, Fox and Noerris were showered with praise and decided the rulers of their underground society, even though no one knew how they built it.
But Bailey was different. He missed the crackling pine forests and the great bears that slunk in the mountains, the waving of the wheat in the fields... His family. His family who was destroyed by the Shadow.
He didn't want to live side-by-side with complete strangers, didn't want to go to school in the tiny cave with it's flickering lights, didn't want to spend his time waiting for the power to come back on, didn't want to hold out hope that the roof wasn't going to collapse on their heads at all times. So he found a new hobby, exploring each and every dark secret within their new home.
Sure, there were long, cavernous, smooth hallways with flowers growing in artificial light, deep pools of water for swimming and even dogs and cats that roamed the halls, playing with the little kids. But the whole place was like a giant hotel, a permanent hotel. It had scattered libraries, a cafeteria, a schoolhouse, an underground lake with real lily pads. It was beautiful. An underground world, hidden from the deformed, rabid beasts up above and the endless fire and smoke.
But Bailey knew that that couldn't be all. Where was all the food coming from? Where did the criminals disappear to? He knew there were more tunnels. Below them. Deeper. Tunnels only Governor Fox and Noerris access, could know about.
His first clue was the tapestry in the schoolhouse down the hall from the bedrooms. He was poking around in there one day, as he'd seen Fox disappear down that hall thousands of times. Never did he expect to find a hidden door, sealed in stone, just waiting for him to open. It was the perfect hidden door, the perfect entryway.
Inside was a maze of tunnels, beneath the city. Cages full of pigs, underground farms, a vast, rushing river that actually led outside. A prison. And millions of underground secrets, and the perfect place for him to hide.
ALLUIM
CITY
So now you know my story. My name's Bailey, and, like most people here, I've lived in this place for two years now. It's really nice. We all love Governor Noerris for her kindness, and we all love Governor Fox for her "awesomeness". I guess everyone likes that she survived a horrible mutation in her body and now she's part animal. Hey, I did too, but no one pays any attention to me, besides throwing things at me every once in a while.
I'm a scavenger. I don't have a tiny room in the sleeping quarters of the city like everyone else does. I live in one of the tunnels previously mentioned, meticulously avoiding guards, and Fox, who DEFINITELY knows I'm down here by now, and is very very determined to eradicate me like I'm some kind of pest.
I sneak through the city while everyone else is sleeping, taking loaves of bread from the community chest (A big cart in the hall between the Governor's offices and the Anteroom full of food and stuff like shirts and jackets, which is free for anyone in a pickle to take, even though people give you a look when you do rifle through it) Sometimes, if I'm really desperate, I've started to creep out through this tiny tunnel barely big enough for me to squeeze through. It leads out onto this hill. Outside. There's no smoke up there because it's too high in the air. From there, I can see my old house. I can see where my parents died. More on that later.
Anyway, downhill from there is this valley with a pretty polluted river, but all these deformed (and tasty) critters from the forest come to drink there. I can shoot them down from the top of the hill.
I've always been great with weapons. Whether it be knives, a bow, or even a slingshot. I lived on a farm nestled in the mountains overlooking the main town for all of my life, except for these last two years, obviously. It was great. I had my sister, my mom, and my dad, the goats and the pigs, even the stray wild dog that would come in and take scraps from my hand. Everything was right with the world.
My father taught me to shoot with a bow. I'd be constantly wandering in the pine forest, climbing trees and scouting in the craggy cliffs that bordered in our tiny valley. He said I needed some kind of protection, other than my speed and epic stealth, which I've already covered.
I miss that forest, the dead pine needs littering the floor, and, like I said, the old grizzly that lumbered in from time to time. But not to get too sentimental. Back to previous cliffhanger. On with sad story.
I slunk down the wide passage, my back tingling with a sense of being watched. I wasn't alone this time, I could feel it. But I continued my race down to the escape river.
The Escape River is this big giant, manmade River that slopes deep underground. There are maybe a hundred little row boats leaned against the wall, and a few crates with food and water, thick clothing and weapons. Fox built it so if we're ever found or attacked, or or precarious settlement starts crumbling, we can get out easy.
There's a staircase on the wall next to it, following the river, probably for parents with babies too little to be swept down the river in those tiny rowboats. I've never dared to ride the water myself, but sometimes, to avoid a guard, I run down the staircase. Guards don't usually go down there to check for citizens sneaking around, it's pretty cold. But I'm armed with many layers of hoodies and, like I mentioned before, my animal instincts.
About that. A bunch of kids got infected from animal bites when the Shadow first came. He kind of poisoned all the woodland critters, making them deformed and rabid, like they'd been in some kind of nuclear meltdown you hear about all the time.
When bitten by one, you don't get normal rabies. But it's just as bad. I spent three weeks throwing up whatever I ate, writhing on my bed, sweating my fluids out. When it was finally over, I was weak as anything, and had some unfortunate side affects of fox spittle running through my blood.
I turned down the side hall, quickly checking behind me. No guards. Not a sound. Weird. My fall-red tail swung behind me.
Yes. The tail. Don't ask. Like I said. I was bitten by a fox. No more questions.
My furry ears swivel as I suddenly hear footsteps keeping pace with my long stride. I heard every little rock crunching under their heavy rubber boots. The ears are great. Unlike the tail, which just gets in the way.
I hear a voice as I veer down the right hallway, which leads to a dead end, but it's pretty dark down there, so I was assuming I could blend into the shadows and wait out whoever was following me, if they already knew I was there or not.
"Hey. Lucas!" Noerris's high pitched voice called. I groaned in my head. Noerris. Our silly, "other" Governor who is basically there for moral support to Fox, who does all the work.
I'm not saying I necessarily like Governor Fox. She's sly, almost as fast as me, and owns these tunnels, and made it illegal to be in them, besides her, Noerris, police officers (basically glorified guards), and prisoners, who have no choice but to be down here.
"Come here! Another animal got down here!" She was dancing from foot to foot, pointing down the hall where I was sitting, holding my breath, hoping she couldn't see me.
But then I realized. She saw my tail. Thought I was an animal. Fantastic.
Lucas, a blond guard, stupid enough to mistake a cow for a walnut, came racing to stand beside her. I have a feeling he's in love with her.
A while ago, I questioned why Fox assigned such stupid guards. But then I realized, of course she would. Why have smart, quick people like her down in her super-secret tunnels, probably calculating when to shoot her as she walked through them and overthrow her hold over the city, or find out her secrets that she hid away in the countless vaults dotting these dark tunnels?
Lucas cocked his rifle and aimed it into the darkness. my pulse quickened. Great. I was deciding whether or not to yell out when I slipped (I'd been crouching, not really sitting) and tumbled into the light of Noerris' lantern.
She yelled and Lucas fired, (and of course missed) I got to my feet, and just for the fun of it, hissed at her before I catapulted out of the tunnel and tore down the hall.
Her shrieks disappeared behind me as the wind screamed in my ears. I knew I wasn't going to make it far, but hey, run while you still can.
I bumped right into a police officer. He glared down at me before putting me in handcuffs, as if I'd done something horribly wrong. Exploring tunnels isn't like committing murder, which Lucas was about to do! HELLO!
So now here I sit, in this teeny tiny little cell. Actually, it's much bigger than the bedrooms in the sleeping quarters in the city, which is a plus. But I can't really stretch my legs. That's the best part about living on the run. You're never rested up, never full, always something pushing you to try harder, to run faster. It's much better than laid back, boring city life.
Every once in a great while, Lucas, who is now determined to keep me in prison, brings me food and attempts to provoke me so my sentence is longer. I never lash out, just make him feel stupid.
Lucas: Hey fox-face, here's your food
Me: Yep. Bread. Tasty.
Lucas: Not what you're used to in the woods you crawled out of, hybrid?
Me: Nope. Back there we ate this dish called 'Liver of Stupid Prison Guard'
He provides small entertainment. He's not allowed to hit me, so I like watching his face turn beet red and his fists ball up, but he can't do anything to me. It's fun.
Fox comes down too, every once in a while. Noerris is the pretty one, with deep brown eyes, full lips and thick, wavy hair. No wonder Lucas is totally in love with her. But I'd be going for Fox, even though she'd probably impale you the moment you tried to touch her.
She has sharp features, gray eyes, and is rather tall, with neat, severe hair always tied back so it doesn't get in her way when she runs. I like her. Kind of. Even though she's the reason I'm locked up in this cell instead of roaming the darkness. I can tell she's interested in me though. I think I'm the only person to ever be arrested for being down here. Fun.
Me: And I'd watch your mouth there, your Governor is a hybrid too.
Lucas: *angry stuttering*
Prison life is good. Even the food isn't TOOOOO bad. But I'm planning on getting out. I asked Lucas for some paper and pencil the other day, and he gave it to me, surprisingly. Anyway, I made this brilliant plan:
1. Charm Fox into visiting me every day
2. Convince her we need to run away together and that hybrids should stick together
3. Get let out and take off, leaving heartbroken Fox to be too upset to rule the city
4. Overtake Noerris with ease
5. Become supreme ruler of the entire world
There are a bunch of broken-heart scribbles and sketches on the side of the list, too. I'm so witty and clever. I'll be out in no time.
DAY FOUR
So. Still not out. This is pretty embarrassing. I was counting on revealing my undying love for Governor Fox today, but she didn't even come visit and question me about what I saw in her tunnels. Rude.