Here is an ongoing story I have been writing for the last month or so. Currently, we're on the sixth chapter.
It started before November and was enjoying the story and characters, so decided to try and complete it as part of NaNoWriMo, but, here we are in December and I'm still working on it.
Currently, I have a feeling the Eighth chapter will be the final one, however, it could go on a bit longer than that.
"Why did you force us to come down here? What was the reason? Were you trying to score points with that," Arien caught herself before speaking further. M'Trada could hear her clothes crease as if she were shifting quickly. "I mean. That Mulu, he's not right in the head. Clearly." Arien spoke much softer than she had previously.
M'Trada thought of the reason he came here. While he would have preferred to stay, there was an unheard voice telling him to follow the Mulu's lead. "I just thought it would have been better to act, rather than wait ideally." He lied. Meeha was working with a huge operation and clearly had connections to acquire just about anything he needed, and most likely for a good price. I could flood The Western Wastes within a matter of weeks and have enough money to leave this world for good. He thought, almost drooling at the prospect of what he could earn with the sort of connections the crazy Mulu had at his disposal.
"Come on, let's push on. We'll get lost down here without them." He said as he got to his feet.
Arien let out a sigh and didn't immediately follow him, but soon he heard the crunch of dust as she stepped. "I don't want to get stuck here, so I don't exactly have a choice."
They made it out of the pitch-black walkway, and into a brighter area. It opened out into a large cavern of sorts. Steps led down, and from their position, they could see the machines that were making the noise.
Huge hulking monstrosities. Four were visible. They were massive podiums, reaching to the ceiling; they looked as though they were holding up the earth above. Attached were multiple large circular tubes, and they were each turning slowly in a different rotation. The thuds came from below still, but this level was incredibly noisy. People shouting to speak was ever-present, hidden somewhere behind the heavy machinery.
The podiums that reached the top of this place seemed to fall and disappear out of view, descending further than M'Trada could imagine.
"What is this place?" Arien whispered. She wouldn't have been heard if M'Trada was standing any further away.
"I have no idea." M'Trada said loudly.
Walking below them on the main floor was Meeha, Gael, and his retinue of guards. They bashed their way through any small gathering of workers they came across, and seemed to pick up people as they walked. Many other guards from the area flocked to them, and began following as they made their way to the route cause of the issue.
M'Trada didn't have to speak, or tell Arien to follow him. He just moved and knew she was moving too.
It didn't take them long to reach the main level, and they weren't far from the parade of heavily armed people.
As they passed by the workers, M'Trada realised that they were all in bad shape. Not only were they wearing clothes unfit for this sort of work, but they also looked filthy, and malnourished. Then he noticed the chains some of them wore. These people weren't workers. Rather, they were forced labour. He was confused however by the fact that only a few of them seemed to wear chains. Others seemed to be allowed to walk free; they may have been the hierarchy of these people, but he couldn't be sure.
"I don't like this. I want to leave, now." Arien said in his ear.
"What about the pickup? We need those supplies."
"I don't care what Crovin wants. If he wants to come here himself and get them, he can. But, I'm not staying."
M'Trada knew she was serious, but he couldn't see much of an option. He didn't want to convince her to stay. He didn't want to stay. He did, however, want the connection, no matter how sleazy.
