Escape From Dun Garok

Umbert rolled his eyes impatiently as Selai stirred in her fitful sleep. He had been waiting for two hours for her to wake, as the Mountaineers hadn't let him wake her, as they didn't want her crying for her mother and father, and "deafenin' th'whole fock'n Keep", as his escort had said.

Said escort was still there, looking as bored as Umbert was. He was quite short, even for a dwarf, and he had a long black beard, which almost touched the tops of his steel toe-capped boots, that was clasped at the end with a ringlet of silver. His head was mostly covered by a deep blue hood, which was standard MNT uniform. He sneered at Umbert, who sneered back in a mimicking fashion. He switched his gun arm again, keeping the firearm held up, aimed at Umbert.

The berserker sighed, staring coldly at the back of the sleeping Selai for making him wait this long. The elf had been locked away by the Mountaineers, under suspicion that she was a member of the infamous Shadow Pact. Whether she was or not, she'd cry like any other elf. The fun Umbert would have beating her senseless, after feeding her Bloodmist addiction with the vial he'd brought with him, almost wasn't worth the wait.

Almost.

But Umbert's wait hadn't been in vain, for at that moment, she slowly sat up, and whimpered pitifully. Umbert's escort also watched her, his aim at Umbert's temple dropping for a moment, before he flicked back to his duty, glaring at Umbert with renewed vigour, aiming the flintlock at his forehead determinedly.

"Give 'er 'er med'cine, an' geddoo'!" The escort growled threateningly.

Umbert shrugged, and stepped towards the cell. The escort removed a key from the depths of his uniform, and unlocked the cell door for him, the flintlock aimed at his head the entire time. Umbert stepped into the cell, edging towards the elf, who was in the far corner, curled up in a foetal position, sobbing silently.

Umbert's heavy breathing alerted her to his prescense, and her head jerked up instinctively, the bandage across her eyes gave her a comical look, as it had slipped down slightly, only held up by the bridge of her nose.

"S'alri'e, lass. Yeh'll be safe soon..." Umbert muttered assuringly, taking the vial of Bloodmist from the small pocket beneath his shoulderplate. The she-elf's ears pricked up excitedly.

"Will I get to go to Mummy and Daddy soon??" The elf asked giddily, her withdrawal symptoms all too obvious. She knelt towards Umbert eagerly, guided by his voice.

"Err... aye. Yeh'll see 'em soon, lass." Umbert lied. He held his breath, and quickly tugged the cork off the top of the vial of Bloodmist, the red steam that was it's namesake rising from the vial. The elf's nose twitched, before she leapt forward a little, sniffing hard at the wafting mist.

Almost immediately, the effects of the withdrawal began the wear off; her movements became more confident, not so shaky, and she leant back, smiling happily as her stomach pains wore off. Umbert stepped from the cell, re-corking the vial, and as he turned to his escort, he found that two other Mountaineers had arrived. One a dwarf, with a bushy dark brown beard, a bald patch glinting on top of his head, and a large battleaxe on his back. The other was a small gnomish woman, with shoulder-length hair of a wintery blue colour. She was armed with what seemed to be a pair of glowing shortswords, crossed over on her back.

Umbert slipped the vial quickly under his shoulderplate, but not before a flicker of recognition appeared in the gnome's eyes, as she eyed the vial. She frowned suspiciously, Umbert staring back at her defiantly, as if to say "What?".

"What kind of medicine is that?" The gnome asked, with a strong hint of suspicion in her voice. She folded her arms, awaiting an answer. Umbert feigned offense, and took a step back.

"Err, s'mah own recipe. Fer curin' mental traumas, an'... aye," Umbert replied, "An' anyway, wha's i' go' teh do wi' you?! Nothin', so back off!" The berserker glared at the gnome, who didn't quail under his stare. But then, the dwarf with the bald head stepped forward.

"Giver 'er th'vial, kinsman." He demanded threateningly, holding his hand out. Umbert glared at the hand, then at the dwarf, who glared right back.

"Wha'? So ah come an' shaddap a pris'ner fer yeh, an' then yeh wan' teh interrega'e me?! Tha' jes' daft!" Umbert exclaimed, looking accusingly at the the three Mountaineers. They met him with stony-faced glares.

"Yeh're on our territ'ry, kinsman. Which means yeh have teh do wha' we say. Heck, if yeh're nice, yeh migh' leave 'ere alive." The balding dwarf said sternly, his hand still reached out towards Umbert, who smirked, his power claw twitching unconsciously.

"Oh, es tha' a threat ah hear?" Umbert chuckled mockingly, peering tactically at the dwarf. He was bigger than Umbert, and the berserker figured he was slower too, with that big heavy axe on his back.

"Yes, it is. Now hand it over." The gnome squeaked, trying to sound authorative.

But, as Umbert stared off against the three Mountaineers, another three dwarven men strode confidently around the corner, two of which Umbert recognised.

At the head of the group, was none other than Colonel Angst Ironboot, his single eye peering at the four figures ahead of him. Thick, blue spiked shoulderplates and a long, graying-brown beard framed a worn, but fierce face. Behind him was a balding dwarf with a plaitted, bright ginger beard, and a pair of complicated-looking goggles covering his eyes. This dwarf also wore a pair of spiked shoulderplates, and Umbert could see at least four flintlocks on his person; Ulgarf Splinterhawk. A third dwarf was behind him, who had a pale blonde beard, in a similar style to Umbert's own ginger one, as well as a blue hood covering his head.

The three dwarves approached the scene, Angst acknowledging the gnome.

"Lieutenant Mevyan, status report. Wha's goin' on 'ere?" Angst barked gruffly.

"Sir, this dwarf 'alchemist' is in possession of a suspicious substance, which I'd like to investigate." The gnome replied, saluting her superior.

"Alchemist, y'say? Doesn' look like any alchemist I've ever seen." Angst chuckled, before the dwarf with the blonde beard stepped forward.

"Now yeh'll be handin' over tha' vial, if yeh know wha's good fer yeh." The dwarf pulled a flintlock from his side, aiming it casually at Umbert. Umbert tensed his legs, ready to duck or jump.

"Thes es jes' daft... ah'm a bloddy freeman, no' some hardened criminal!" Umbert growled, glaring spitefully at the blonde dwarf.

((Will be continued later, have to go to bed :S))