Chapter 1: Arrival

Chapter 1: "Arrival"

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On a July 23, 1997 at exactly 6:14 am a British Airways flight, along with 223 passengers, disappeared several thousand feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The flight was coming from JFK, New York and was headed for Heathrow, London.  There came no warning of this coming anomaly,  the pilot was flying over the skies above the Atlantic Ocean one moment and the next moment the plane’s instruments started failing.  Cut off from satellites, and all other radio frequencies, the pilot was unable to get a response from over his radio. Seconds after that, the plane immediately comes under attack by a flock of giant winged beasts. The plane started tearing apart mid air; the pilot had no choice but to attempt an emergency landing on water.
 
The plane managed to slowdown just enough before it split into two, right before hitting the water. It did not take long for the plane to start sinking into the deep sea. Underwater predators saw an opportunity for a free meal and started attacking and eating the drowning passengers.  Then a light came from above the water, it frightened the predators away saving some of the passengers from a terrible fate. The light was followed by nets, fishing nets, cast out into the water to catch the survivors who were swimming above the surface.


 
The men who commanded the nets were not completely human. They had big eyes, large pointy ears and fur all over their body. The survivors were taken to shore, still caught in the nets; they were dragged along the sand and stripped of their fine clothing. In addition to the hot tropical sun pressing on their naked skin, the survivors were also being observed closely by these curious cat-like creatures.  A lot of them looked curious some worried, and the others had only the vision of profit gleaming from their eyes.
 
“Imperials?” one of the cat people said.
 
“No, they do not look like imperials. It doesn’t matter who they are, they are trespassing in our lands.” A larger one replied.
 
“What do we do with them?” the first one asked.
 
“What we do with trespassers! Even if they fell from the sky, they are still trespassers.” the second one replied.


 
The survivors were dragged some more and placed into the back of a wagon, a wagon that had iron bars for walls. The earthlings were taken to the town of M’hrr, a town populated by these cat people who took them.  They were paraded along the town naked and caged, this was a common practice used by the Nyanqin to show off their catch to the whole town before selling them.
 
Finally the wagon stopped in the middle of what appeared to be their town square.  There were hundreds of the Nyanqins, big and small, who were an audience to the coming auction.  
 
One of their captors stepped up on a wooden stage and addressed the crowd. “Behold! Today’s menu is Human trespassers! We found them squirming on the sea after their ship crashed. Bring them out one by one!”
 
The Nyanqins pulled out a young girl American from out of the cage and held her up on the stage for all to see. “The price for this one starts at 400 Gil!
 
The girl was unconscious the whole time, she was sold to a lecherous old Nyanqin who ran a brothel.  The next one to be auctioned was an adult male, a cop; he was awake the entire time and had been waiting on an opportunity to escape. When the cage doors opened, he made a mad dash out into open. The citizens were frightened and steered clear from the human as he tried to run away.  J’asha, a Nyanqin hunter, had the fleeing human in his sights. He drew his bow and let an arrow loose several feet ahead from his target. The arrow flew out from his bow, into the air, and plunged into the fleeing human’s skull.
 


“J’asha! What have you done!? That wasn’t yours to kill!” the auctioneer said to the hunter. J’asha only growled back and left. The auctioneer looked really pissed; he signaled two of his men to go follow J’asha.
 

“What a waste! Let’s continue the auction! Bring out the next human!”

(If you are not in M'hrr, you may start RPing elsewhere or you can wait for us to arrive in  the city of Drakestone for the Fighting Pits.)

Location: It is so confusing

Before the anomaly.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." 

I was sitting on the window seat, enjoying my view of the atlantic ocean while listening to my micheal jackson mp3 collection. I had strapped my seat belt extra tight because it made me feel more secure. My mom just died and now I am on a plane headed to where my dad is. Things are happening so fast it's like the universe is holding down the fast forward button. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't. 

2 years ago, on my birthday, my mom took me to the fair for the first time. She saw how happy it made me and so she promised me that every year, on my birthday, we would go... together.

The next year my mom go really sick, she had to go to the hospital and had to stay there for a very long time. I had to stay with my mom's friends, people I don't really know, they didn't treat me very well...

The next year my mom was feeling much better. She even quit her job so she could spend more time with me. On my 10th birthday, my mom and I went to the fair for the last time. Sometimes I could hear my mom cough very loudly and when I go to check her, she's always rinsing her mouth. I didn't know that my mother was dying...

A night before my 11th birthday I heard a loud thump, I ran down the stairs and found my mom lying motionless on the floor. My heart stopped, for a moment I thought she was dead. I was relieved to see her still breathing. I rushed to the phone and dialed 9-1-1...

15 minutes and 27 seconds later, the ambulance arrived in front of our home. I opened the door to let them in. I turned my head and looked over my should to where my mom was...she was....

A sudden and violent shake pulled Eishi out from his thoughts. 

"What's is going on?" I thought to myself. The lights on the plane went on and off, I looked at the window and saw something staring back at me. It was dark and had wings, it looked at me like it was going to eat me.

Another violent shake, this time I could hear the sound of metal ripping apart. Suddenly the plane started to descend very rapidly. The passengers started screaming even before the oxygen masks dropped down. I had trouble reaching mine, my seat belt was strapped in too tight I couldn't reach the mask it was dangling around too quickly for me to get a hold of it. Finally after so much struggle I was able to grab hold of the oxygen mask, thank God...  But just when I finally had a brief moment of delight, the plane broke into two parts. We fell into the ocean and started sinking very very quickly, before I knew it we were already underwater.

I had taken in one breath of air from the oxygen mask before it was flooded in by sea water. It hard to see under the sea, but I could feel something moving around us. I had to swim out but seat belt was still strapped on. I started regretting putting the seat belt on too tight now. I struggled a good 10 seconds, which felt more like 20 minutes, before I was able to break free from the seat belt. And then I swam up, up towards the light. I took a big gasp for air upon reaching the surface. Finally it felt like I had survived but all of the sudden a rope net landed on top of my head, like a fish I was pulled in along with the net, there was no swimming away from it we were caught...

Our captors, they weren't human. They looked like cats but they were standing up, walking like humans and talking like humans. This must be a dream because there was no other way to explain it. I was still deciding if this was a dream or not when all of the sudden these catmen started taking off all our clothes and out stuff. They stripped us and made us all fit inside this dirty and cold cage, naked. I could do nothing, I was afraid they might eat me and so I covered up my eyes and hid behind the person next to me.

I was hiding for so long that I didn't realize that we had entered into their town. The wagon suddenly stopped and all around us hundreds of these catmen stood and judged us with their eyes. We were being sold like poultry, no wait like pets that was a better way of looking at it. One lady was already sold, it made me wish that I would get sold to a nice catperson, no wait why would I want that?

I just wanted to go home, everything was still unreal to me. I just wanted to go home, this can't be real it must be all a dream. I just want to go-

And then panic. One of us escaped and for a moment I thought he would actually make it, that he would escape and call for help so that we could be rescued somehow. But then an arrow drove into the man's head, stopping him and dropping him on the ground, he was dead.

Realization struck me. This was no dream, it was a nightmare. "It wasn't supposed to be like this..."

William De sota watched from the cage.  He felt pity for the poor girl that was sold but not enough to do anything.  While others looked scared or angry William just looked.  He took in everything silently, he spent a moment to shake his head at the cop who tried to escape.  "These people are fools we are in a strange new world, and instead of looking at this exciting world and waiting to learn about it they moan, cry and foolishly try to escape."  He thought as he looked around the village.  

Sure he was not keen to be a slave, however running off half cocked would only get an arrow in the head.  But an even greater truth was he wanted to explore this new place.   To him this presented a chance for adventure, to see a new world.  He was annoyed they took his book satchel... not that the water soaked books would be readable he was just irked they would take them from him.  "But this is a whole new world, new things to see, and new books to read.  All I need to do is get out of here"  He thought to himself. 

These others could cry, moan or try needless acts of bravado he would bide his time and when an opportunity arrived he would escape to explore this new world.  But for now he just relaxed and continued watching the show.

Maria was just getting ready to head out of town when she saw the wagon roll in with people inside. It wasn't anything too odd, she had certainly seen odder occurrences around the village. As she saw the first human, the young girl, be sold to the brothel owner she hissed quietly. It wasn't really any of her business, but she never liked the man and thus felt bad for the girl either way.

Though she had wanted to leave immediately, Maria couldn't help but move closer to inspect the humans more closely. Making sure she didn't get too close and upset the nyanqin selling off the humans. She desperately wanted to ask them to tell her stories of what their lives had been like before now, but she felt now was a very bad time. So she simply decided to watch and see where each one was going to be sent to and who was buying them, her eyes full of curiosity and her slight grin free of ill-intent unlike many of the others around her.

William was surprised when one of the cat creatures bought the rest strait out.  They were taken to some sort of facility.  He saw the catperson who killed the cop.  It appeared that he worked here, he had also noticed a female catperson hanging around the wagon for whatever reason.

He wanted to look around more and talk to these strange people and learn more about where he was.  But before he could ask questions he along with the rest of the prisoners was ushered off to be washed and dressed in rags.  

While relieved to be back in clothes the rags were itchy and smelled.  But he set the thought aside and instead focused on the catpeople washing them.  "Thank you for the clothes,  might I ask where we are and what is expected of us?" William asked excited to find out where his adventure had led him.

Location: Prison Cell, Meera's Stables

There were no words to describe just what had transcribed. One moment I was being dragged out on to a stage, naked, and the next time I'm here trapped in a dirty old cell. I'm scared, I really thought for sure that the catmen would kill me and eat me. If it weren't for that cat lady, who bought us all, I'm don't know what would've happened to us. At least they gave us something to cover up, it was getting really cold and embarrassing. The cell was also bigger than the wagon, which allowed me some free movement and stretching.

I was confused and I was very scared. I just wanted to go home, I wanted things to be back to normal, back when mom was still alive and well. I was so very scared, my hands would not stop from trembling. I wanted to sit down and curl up, so I did. I felt like crying but I had tears, I left most of them back at home, back where mom is. I miss her so much... I just want to go home.

Eishi started remembering his mom's last moments. As she laid there on their floor, almost breathless, she pulled Eishi in closer to kiss him and whisper to him her final words. Words that would forever remain in his heart.

Before she died, my mom told me....

Suddenly one of the prisoners got up and thanked the catmen for the clothes and then he asked them some questions, like what was expected of us. In my head I was thinking, "Why would he ask that? Shouldn't he be asking where we are first? Shouldn't he be saying this must be all just a big mistake."

But it is not in me to argue with adults but of all the questions, that's the one he asked. Man, this guy must've hit his head pretty bad or something.

Without noticing it, Eishi's fear had regressed thanks to his sudden dislike for the man who asked the silly questions. But he was still very interested in what the catmen would respond and so he raised up his head and listened.

William looked into the young womans's eyes.  He smiled kindly at her as he approached.  She looked to be a couple of years older then him.  As he approached her slowly he spoke.

 "Sweety you are a pretty thing.  I think we could have gotten along heavenly.  This is such a scary world unlike ours the rules are different and horrid aren't they? such a terrible place compared to ours where everyone  has rights and rules.  We are taught do this and be good you get rewarded, don't do that or you will be in trouble."  he told her kindly as he reached her.  


Suddenly the kindness left his eyes. "It was downright boring, go to school, play sports.  But why it didnt matter, whether you were exceptional or mundane it ended the same at some dead end job.  Our world punished those who were strong told us all were equal.  And now in this world I see it is actual strength that matters.  The only reason we are slaves is because they are stronger then us.  So little deary I have a choice to make, treat you as an equal and we both die or accept I am strong with potential to be stronger and your just a scared weakling. "  William said as if it was an explanation.  


"See the fact is you are dead, you just didn't know it until you were culled.  Well I could put up bravado and try and save you.  But deary I need to live I am a player character with a destiny and you, you deary are merly an npc a weakling who doesnt matter."  


And without another word William stabbed the woman in the chest.  "Tho it is a shame, an npc like you would have made a fine plaything...but perhaps if I do well and get stronger they will let me have other pretty playthings."  William told her as the light faded from her eyes.  But just to be safe he gave her another stab for good memeasure.  As he listened to her final gurgled breath he let out a sigh.  It wasnt that he enjoyed killing her. it really was a sad necessity.  But for the first time he felt truly free.  This world was not his old boring world and he was willing to do what it took to truly enjoy the freedom of this world.  To do that. for now he had to survive and grow stronger.

The member 'Zephyros' has done the following action : FFMSL Dice

'Physical (P)' :

Result :

Location:  M'hrr gate entrance/street




Traveling a great many distances and visiting various cities wasn't anything new to Svendas.  Even M'hrr was familiar to him as he has been here before and has gotten to know the locals quite well in both gathering supplies for the guild and recruiting new prospects.  Orphans who had no home or those who seek to better themselves were some of the individuals he'd recruited in the past.  



As he walked down the street, Svendas sees the markets were buzzing with selling and trading various goods, weapons and armors; pretty much anything was sold and traded at the Nyan market.  But to svendas, he's all well much aware of the dark side of this nyan town which was the slave trade.  In matter of fact, he recruited a few to the "Guild" a number of occasions.  


Svendas surveyed his surroundings as he continued walking the street while browsing the shops for good he'll need to take back with him.  To himself, "Well, things are relatively the same as it's usually is; guess that's one of the good qualities about M'hrr" He soon paused and stopped in his tracks for a few moments and was seemingly drawing a blank.  ". . . . ."


"ah....what did I need to get again?"