[He says it less as an order and more as a request as he straightens his legs to a stand. This is going to be a double-edged sword, but that's better than nothing.]
[Who doesn't love a good double-edged sword! That's a sharp blade, you know - they're pretty useful!
The child's eyes widen a little at the agreement, like he hadn't actually expected it... But in the next second, he's smiling! This may be his stinky home, but that doesn't mean he likes it, okay. He's found a seemingly friendly stranger to latch onto now, and maybe he's always been a bit prone to latching.
He unfolds himself from his little hidey-hole fully, popping up to his feet in the alley proper. Even standing, he's a pretty small and scrawny kid, but he reaches out to grab a pinch of Sieghart's sleeve like he has never known a fear in his gotdam life. He doesn't seem to mind or maybe even notice the suspicious head-shaped bundle...]
Okay! It's this way.
[He starts to pull Sieghart toward the opposite end of the alley from where he'd entered, away from the row of shops and the inn with its questionable guests. As they get closer to the alley's end, it looks like the child's just going to start leading both of them through some back streets. As they go, he continues to ask questions in a quiet voice.]
What's your name, anyway? And where are you traveling from?
[A pinch of his sleeve is better than his gross hands. Led thus, Sieghart follows closely behind with the bundle clutched securely at his side. In the interest of stealth, he also speaks lowly:]
Call me Si. I don't have a home, so I've been wandering for a long time.
[Oh yeah his hands are covered in brain juice huh, whack.]
Si-san? [A curious little intonation, but he seems to accept.] ...I guess we're the same, then. Except I don't wander that much anymore. It's not good to be wandering around here right now.
[He'll lead the way through twists and turns, through silent (or nearly-silent) other alleys that seem bereft of any life save a few scavenging animals and fewer scavenging people.
Eventually, he comes to a wall, and specifically to a hole in said wall. It looks like it might be a tight squeeze, but unsurprisingly, the child lets go of Sieghart's sleeve long enough to crouch down and point.]
[The political climate—or something else—must be dire for even a child to say such a thing. He's going to have to avoid as much interaction with the people of this place as he can.
[He says this and then promptly ducks down himself, disappearing into the hole. Apparently he trusts that Sieghart is going to follow, but what is a lad going to actually do?]
UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME BUT FORTUNATELY FOR SIEGHART!!! With a roll that high, he manages to squeeze through the hole without too much fuss. Whatever the hell he's going through is a tight fit and it absolutely smells dank as hell in here. He'll likely end up with a few minor scrapes just from squeezing and scooting his way along, and he'll want to make sure he keeps a good grasp on Kondo's head, or the squeak of sewer rats might get uncomfortably close.
Eventually, though, he'll pop out on the other side. The child is already there, crouched down and waiting.]
Of course, he keeps a good grasp on Kondo's head. In fact, he'd sooner bite the sewer rats a new one than let them have his prize, because he needs this head to proceed. Fortunately, it doesn't come down to chomping on disease carriers, and he makes it out just fine.]
You're much smaller than I am. What did you expect?
[He climbs onto his feet, then extends an arm with the sleeve to which the child has taken a liking.]
The child's expression brightens when Sieghart offers his sleeve free of charge though, and he immediately reaches out to take it in his little grubby paw again before heading out.]
I'm smaller but you should be faster! You're bigger than me so you can move more all at once, right?
[Physics?? He doesn't know her.
Anyway on the other side of that weird nasty hole in the wall is what appears to be a forgotten, abandoned little stretch of city. The buildings on this side are dilapidated and look like they haven't been occupied properly in months, if not years. Grass grows thick over bits and pieces of wood, cloth, roof tiling.
The occasional cough or moan from within the depths of these buildings hint to the fact that it's not entirely devoid of life, but the child walks quickly, as though not to linger here. Sieghart can take a look around if he likes, or he can follow the child making his quick way to the darkened border of trees looming close, just beyond the edge of this stretch of buildings. Or he can do something else! The world is his oyster.]
The child has his sleeve, and it appears to be agreed upon between the two of them that it's best to move quickly. Sieghart follows, though he does take note of what surroundings he can glimpse on the way.]
[Why is there a slight goblin air creeping into this child's tone...
But for now, he's not running; just walking very briskly with his stubby little kid legs. It seems he knows the area well, since he can navigate despite the fact that the moon is barely peeking out now with the thickening of the cloud cover.
As Sieghart glances around, he'll notice that some of the buildings in this area appear to be charred rather than simply abandoned and overtaken by plant growth. Maybe it's a good thing he isn't dallying, because one or two of them smell faintly of blood and rust. From others, shapes move in the depths, just barely silhouetted by the moonlight. Their movements are strangely stilted.
Since Sieghart chooses to move quickly, they make it to the edge of the forest without incident. The child grips his sleeve a little more tightly.]
You said you wanted to go through here, right? West to the forest? ...Will you take me with you?
[Where athleticism is concerned, he excels. He just hates exerting himself when it isn't on the battlefield. If the child decides to race him in the near future, he'll hurl the head all the way to Tama before lying down for a nap.
The coughing from earlier, combined with the charred look of the buildings, leads him to wonder if there was some sort of purge. With Kondo's decapitation on display to presumably serve as an example, the new government's takeover must've been bloody. That's really none of Sieghart's concern, though it sets him thinking as he peers down at the child.]
If you want to come along, I won't stop you. But you can't fall behind, either.
[As for what might happen if the child does end up doing that, he doesn't say. At the very least, he doesn't take his sleeve back before starting for the forest.]
[Honestly that would be a valid move, but he probably doesn't have to worry about hurling any heads anywhere just yet.
The child's jaw sets at a stubborn angle for a moment, though, and he doesn't let go of Sieghart's sleeve.]
Then I'm coming! I'm fast, too!
[Presumably then, he won't fall behind. Wow can't believe he said yes to a demon child and no to his own sweet wife's decapitated head, damn.
The forest is unfortunately even darker than the open stretches of destroyed city had been, and because Sieghart doesn't have a light, he'll probably end up stumbling around a bit. The child will stick close, though, and seems somewhat familiar with the woods, too. Eventually, they'll come to the ol' classic: a fork in the path they'd entered from. The left path is narrow but looks like it's been used by numerous people. The right looks less worn, but veers around a corner, making it impossible to see further ahead.]
Mm... West, right? West... Um... [Even if his expression can't be seen well, the "I'm screwing up my face in concentration trying to use my braincell" is practically audible.] Left's faster, but that goes a lot closer to the base that's out here. Right's got a lot of animals and stuff, though.
Should he have swiped a lantern from one of the two people at the start? That's starting to seem increasingly the case as he stumbles along unfamiliar grounds.
He takes a long, considering look between his options. The beaten path is enticing, but there's no easy explanation for a foreign man with a rotten bundle and the stench of death escorted by a dirty orphan. Animals can be even more dangerous than people, but people can communicate and enlarge a contained problem.
[me sitting here like RUPERT IS SIEGHART'S FAKE WIFE??
Hm, though. Who knows! Wild. Sieghart's little feetsies are taking a beating from all of these twigs and roots he's bonking into, but at least he probably makes it without completely smacking onto the ground.
The child makes a bit of a face at the question.]
The New Government force's base. [He doesn't say "duh", but his tone implies it, a bit.] One of them, anyway. There's an execution grounds out there...
People can make a headache worse. But they're easier to fend off than animals "and stuff" in darkness, and there's bound to be light if they run into company, in which case he can steal a fire and make use of the bombs.
He sighs inwardly. Either path is a pain. Why does he have to do such troublesome things? Ultimately, he turns left.]
[The child seems a little reluctant to turn down that path, but he's apparently even more reluctant to let Sieghart go without him, especially now that they're into the forest a fair way.]
...Okay.
[AWAY THEY GOOO. The plus side is its wear: even though it's narrow and winding, the path is clear-cut through vegetation. Occasionally, they may hear the vegetation ahead and to the sides of them rustling with potential wildlife, but nothing leaps out of the bramble with bloodthirst in its eyes.
Sieghart will, however, catch the sound of a low hiss coming from his left after around ten minutes of travel. At the same time, he'll catch sight of what appears to be a clearing in the trees, just barely illuminated in a passing flicker of moonlight.]
[Being able to traverse smoothly with minimal lighting is a small blessing. Knowing that either path was going to be teeming with something or another, he keeps his ears peeled for all noise and darts his eyes toward the hiss to their left.
He slows to a stop. Wildlife? Perhaps it's a snake. He waits for a brief moment to see if the source of the sound comes closer.]
[The source of the sound does come closer, and though Sieghart can't see it well, the level at which the hiss comes from and the way the foliage rustles makes it seem like it could indeed be a snake. Damn, who would have expected wildlife in these here woods.
The snake is apparently not happy to have two miscreants walking in front of its royal path, though, so it darts forward in a sudden spring, rustling leaves and twigs and aiming to bite.]
[Snakes don't typically attack unless they're provoked. Still, Sieghart is alert enough that he pushes the child behind him as the sound of the snake's movement changes. Although he pivots accordingly, he grits his teeth when sharp fangs dig into his lower leg through fabric.
On the bright side, that tells him where the snake is, so he stomps on the thing with his good foot.]
Well. He smashes that snake with his good foot (goot), and manages to get its noggin beneath his boot, snuffing out its delicate little snake life. Little did that snake know, this would be the last person it could take a little chomp out of... Damn.
The child, who'd made a sound of protest at being pushed away so suddenly, begins to frantically pat at Sieghart's side.]
Si-san?! What happened—?
[The area of the bite burns like, almost instantly. Haha. But on the plus side, it's not some level of venom that immediately snipes his ass!
There are no further rustlings in the forest, so presumably another snake isn't coming to avenge its comrade.]
[This does not assuage the child's worries, sir!! He the hand on his chest, clutching at Sieghart's fingies and also getting brain juice on himself now. Groce.
In a loud whisper:] A snake? Is it gone...?
[It's gone and it's gone to heaven, RIP.
As Sieghart goes to get a better look at the clearing, he'll find that it stretches out quite a ways deeper into the forest itself. Farther in the distance, he'll see what appear to be several torches around the perimeter of a building, though it'll be hard for him to pick up much detail.
[Great. Maybe it'll pour and he can wash some of the venom on the surface off.
And that snake's gone to hell.]
It's gone, so don't worry about it.
[Entering a clearing is risky, but he's racing against time more than before. The rainfall should help. Once he's looked around as much as he can in the darkness, he turns his hand around to hold the child's and makes for the building.]
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Yeah? Then show me.
[He says it less as an order and more as a request as he straightens his legs to a stand. This is going to be a double-edged sword, but that's better than nothing.]
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The child's eyes widen a little at the agreement, like he hadn't actually expected it... But in the next second, he's smiling! This may be his stinky home, but that doesn't mean he likes it, okay. He's found a seemingly friendly stranger to latch onto now, and maybe he's always been a bit prone to latching.
He unfolds himself from his little hidey-hole fully, popping up to his feet in the alley proper. Even standing, he's a pretty small and scrawny kid, but he reaches out to grab a pinch of Sieghart's sleeve like he has never known a fear in his gotdam life. He doesn't seem to mind or maybe even notice the suspicious head-shaped bundle...]
Okay! It's this way.
[He starts to pull Sieghart toward the opposite end of the alley from where he'd entered, away from the row of shops and the inn with its questionable guests. As they get closer to the alley's end, it looks like the child's just going to start leading both of them through some back streets. As they go, he continues to ask questions in a quiet voice.]
What's your name, anyway? And where are you traveling from?
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Call me Si. I don't have a home, so I've been wandering for a long time.
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Si-san? [A curious little intonation, but he seems to accept.] ...I guess we're the same, then. Except I don't wander that much anymore. It's not good to be wandering around here right now.
[He'll lead the way through twists and turns, through silent (or nearly-silent) other alleys that seem bereft of any life save a few scavenging animals and fewer scavenging people.
Eventually, he comes to a wall, and specifically to a hole in said wall. It looks like it might be a tight squeeze, but unsurprisingly, the child lets go of Sieghart's sleeve long enough to crouch down and point.]
We gotta go through here.
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Sieghart gapes at the hole.]
Here? Is this the way out of the city?
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[He says this and then promptly ducks down himself, disappearing into the hole. Apparently he trusts that Sieghart is going to follow, but what is a lad going to actually do?]
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UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME BUT FORTUNATELY FOR SIEGHART!!! With a roll that high, he manages to squeeze through the hole without too much fuss. Whatever the hell he's going through is a tight fit and it absolutely smells dank as hell in here. He'll likely end up with a few minor scrapes just from squeezing and scooting his way along, and he'll want to make sure he keeps a good grasp on Kondo's head, or the squeak of sewer rats might get uncomfortably close.
Eventually, though, he'll pop out on the other side. The child is already there, crouched down and waiting.]
You're kind of slow, huh?
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Of course, he keeps a good grasp on Kondo's head. In fact, he'd sooner bite the sewer rats a new one than let them have his prize, because he needs this head to proceed. Fortunately, it doesn't come down to chomping on disease carriers, and he makes it out just fine.]
You're much smaller than I am. What did you expect?
[He climbs onto his feet, then extends an arm with the sleeve to which the child has taken a liking.]
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The child's expression brightens when Sieghart offers his sleeve free of charge though, and he immediately reaches out to take it in his little grubby paw again before heading out.]
I'm smaller but you should be faster! You're bigger than me so you can move more all at once, right?
[Physics?? He doesn't know her.
Anyway on the other side of that weird nasty hole in the wall is what appears to be a forgotten, abandoned little stretch of city. The buildings on this side are dilapidated and look like they haven't been occupied properly in months, if not years. Grass grows thick over bits and pieces of wood, cloth, roof tiling.
The occasional cough or moan from within the depths of these buildings hint to the fact that it's not entirely devoid of life, but the child walks quickly, as though not to linger here. Sieghart can take a look around if he likes, or he can follow the child making his quick way to the darkened border of trees looming close, just beyond the edge of this stretch of buildings. Or he can do something else! The world is his oyster.]
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[Which he does not want to do.
The child has his sleeve, and it appears to be agreed upon between the two of them that it's best to move quickly. Sieghart follows, though he does take note of what surroundings he can glimpse on the way.]
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[Why is there a slight goblin air creeping into this child's tone...
But for now, he's not running; just walking very briskly with his stubby little kid legs. It seems he knows the area well, since he can navigate despite the fact that the moon is barely peeking out now with the thickening of the cloud cover.
As Sieghart glances around, he'll notice that some of the buildings in this area appear to be charred rather than simply abandoned and overtaken by plant growth. Maybe it's a good thing he isn't dallying, because one or two of them smell faintly of blood and rust. From others, shapes move in the depths, just barely silhouetted by the moonlight. Their movements are strangely stilted.
Since Sieghart chooses to move quickly, they make it to the edge of the forest without incident. The child grips his sleeve a little more tightly.]
You said you wanted to go through here, right? West to the forest? ...Will you take me with you?
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[Where athleticism is concerned, he excels. He just hates exerting himself when it isn't on the battlefield. If the child decides to race him in the near future, he'll hurl the head all the way to Tama before lying down for a nap.
The coughing from earlier, combined with the charred look of the buildings, leads him to wonder if there was some sort of purge. With Kondo's decapitation on display to presumably serve as an example, the new government's takeover must've been bloody. That's really none of Sieghart's concern, though it sets him thinking as he peers down at the child.]
If you want to come along, I won't stop you. But you can't fall behind, either.
[As for what might happen if the child does end up doing that, he doesn't say. At the very least, he doesn't take his sleeve back before starting for the forest.]
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The child's jaw sets at a stubborn angle for a moment, though, and he doesn't let go of Sieghart's sleeve.]
Then I'm coming! I'm fast, too!
[Presumably then, he won't fall behind. Wow can't believe he said yes to a demon child and no to his own sweet wife's decapitated head, damn.
The forest is unfortunately even darker than the open stretches of destroyed city had been, and because Sieghart doesn't have a light, he'll probably end up stumbling around a bit. The child will stick close, though, and seems somewhat familiar with the woods, too. Eventually, they'll come to the ol' classic: a fork in the path they'd entered from. The left path is narrow but looks like it's been used by numerous people. The right looks less worn, but veers around a corner, making it impossible to see further ahead.]
Mm... West, right? West... Um... [Even if his expression can't be seen well, the "I'm screwing up my face in concentration trying to use my braincell" is practically audible.] Left's faster, but that goes a lot closer to the base that's out here. Right's got a lot of animals and stuff, though.
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Should he have swiped a lantern from one of the two people at the start? That's starting to seem increasingly the case as he stumbles along unfamiliar grounds.
He takes a long, considering look between his options. The beaten path is enticing, but there's no easy explanation for a foreign man with a rotten bundle and the stench of death escorted by a dirty orphan. Animals can be even more dangerous than people, but people can communicate and enlarge a contained problem.
First . . . ]
What base is that?
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Hm, though. Who knows! Wild. Sieghart's little feetsies are taking a beating from all of these twigs and roots he's bonking into, but at least he probably makes it without completely smacking onto the ground.
The child makes a bit of a face at the question.]
The New Government force's base. [He doesn't say "duh", but his tone implies it, a bit.] One of them, anyway. There's an execution grounds out there...
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People can make a headache worse. But they're easier to fend off than animals "and stuff" in darkness, and there's bound to be light if they run into company, in which case he can steal a fire and make use of the bombs.
He sighs inwardly. Either path is a pain. Why does he have to do such troublesome things? Ultimately, he turns left.]
We'll take our chances with the base. Let's go.
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...Okay.
[AWAY THEY GOOO. The plus side is its wear: even though it's narrow and winding, the path is clear-cut through vegetation. Occasionally, they may hear the vegetation ahead and to the sides of them rustling with potential wildlife, but nothing leaps out of the bramble with bloodthirst in its eyes.
Sieghart will, however, catch the sound of a low hiss coming from his left after around ten minutes of travel. At the same time, he'll catch sight of what appears to be a clearing in the trees, just barely illuminated in a passing flicker of moonlight.]
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He slows to a stop. Wildlife? Perhaps it's a snake. He waits for a brief moment to see if the source of the sound comes closer.]
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The snake is apparently not happy to have two miscreants walking in front of its royal path, though, so it darts forward in a sudden spring, rustling leaves and twigs and aiming to bite.]
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On the bright side, that tells him where the snake is, so he stomps on the thing with his good foot.]
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Well. He smashes that snake with his good foot (goot), and manages to get its noggin beneath his boot, snuffing out its delicate little snake life. Little did that snake know, this would be the last person it could take a little chomp out of... Damn.
The child, who'd made a sound of protest at being pushed away so suddenly, begins to frantically pat at Sieghart's side.]
Si-san?! What happened—?
[The area of the bite burns like, almost instantly. Haha. But on the plus side, it's not some level of venom that immediately snipes his ass!
There are no further rustlings in the forest, so presumably another snake isn't coming to avenge its comrade.]
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It was just a snake. Keep your voice low.
[They've delayed enough. Bundle still in hand, he presses against the outermost tree to get a better look at the clearing.]
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In a loud whisper:] A snake? Is it gone...?
[It's gone and it's gone to heaven, RIP.
As Sieghart goes to get a better look at the clearing, he'll find that it stretches out quite a ways deeper into the forest itself. Farther in the distance, he'll see what appear to be several torches around the perimeter of a building, though it'll be hard for him to pick up much detail.
A few scattered raindrops finally begin to fall.]
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And that snake's gone to hell.]
It's gone, so don't worry about it.
[Entering a clearing is risky, but he's racing against time more than before. The rainfall should help. Once he's looked around as much as he can in the darkness, he turns his hand around to hold the child's and makes for the building.]
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