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Post by Val on May 7, 2020 1:04:09 GMT
Xander considered himself to be somewhat of an expert when it came to sneaking into places he shouldn't be. It came with the trade of being an only child growing up in an adult world, which resulted in constant eavesdropping on his mother's business meetings. However, he'd never been to Raevaryn Castle and this would be a new and dangerous territory in which he had to watch his back every step of the way. Fortunately, he had Lennox's visions on his side and, once he made it past the castle gates through some sort of abandoned sewer tunnel, he felt confident that he would find his friend and get the hell out of there.
Raevaryn seemed oddly quiet. He would have expected more rigid security from the notoriously disciplined kingdom, but there only appeared to be a few meandering guards around the castle grounds. Nevertheless, Xander knew his miscreant-like appearance would stand out, so he kept to the shadows and continued his search. It wasn't long before Lennox's description began to manifest before his eyes. The backside of one of the buildings was covered in overgrown vines, including an ancient looking door. He yanked on the handle several times before it creaked open to give him access to a dusty looking hallway. It wasn't long before a smirk reached his lips upon encountering the first room, sheet clad furniture and all just as Lennox had described, "Impressive, Lennox," he muttered under his breath. That meant...One, two, three. He stopped outside the third door on the left and tried the door. Locked. "Bo!"
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Post by eragon on May 7, 2020 18:37:19 GMT
Roman's words had rung true: Bo had indeed had a very bad few days. He couldn't say exactly how long it had been since Roman had locked him in that room, but it felt like weeks to him. The initial withdrawal had been terrible. Aside from just being plagued by cravings, he'd felt more sick than he could remember being before. He'd vomited until nothing more would come up and still felt nauseous, and he'd sweated so much that his clothes and the bed sheets both still reeked of it. His whole body had ached, and he hadn't even been able to sleep to escape from the discomfort or pass the time. Within the last day or so, his symptoms had ebbed, but he still felt weak and the cravings hadn't eased.
Bo was laying in bed now, dozing, when he thought he heard a muffled call of his name. He sat up hurriedly, questioning for a moment whether there was really someone there or it was just his imagination, but then decided it didn't matter and scrambled toward the door. "Hello?" He called back hesitantly.
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Post by Val on May 7, 2020 23:52:30 GMT
Xander had his ear pressed to the door when he heard Bo's faint response. He glanced both ways down the hallway to make sure he was still alone before tackling the problem that was the locked door. Although he lacked the strength to bust the door down, Xander had become a bit neurotic when it came to being prepared for every possible situation. The heavy jacket he wore that swamped his lanky frame housed a number of useful items, money, and drugs, of course. He produced a lock pick from one of the pockets and set to work on the door, making several attempts before a satisfying click sounded and the door swung open.
The first thing to hit him was the stench. He winced and took in the pathetic sight that was Bo, feeling his blood boil instantly. "Damnit, Bo." He swept into the room and knelt beside Bo, checking him over for injury. He'd seen the effects that withdrawal could have on a person, but none really compared to seeing his friend forced into such a state. He reached back into his jacket to retrieve a small flask of the concoction he usually provided Bo with. It was almost empty, since Xander usually used it to get through the day, but it was enough to ease the pain. "Here. Take it slowly," he handed it over to Bo before fixating him with a seething look, "Who did this to you?"
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Post by eragon on May 11, 2020 20:19:41 GMT
Bo stared at the door, willing it to open, to hear someone else call back to him again, anything to break the monotony that had become his life the last several days. As the seconds dragged on and nothing happened, the shimmer of hope he'd felt slowly began to fade. It was foolish of him, really, to think that anyone would be coming to his rescue. No one knew he was here, but who would help him even if they did? For all he knew, hallucinating was simply the latest symptom of his withdrawal.
He was about to crawl back to the bed when the door swung open, revealing Xander just in time for Bo to notice him wince. Knowing how bad the room must smell to someone unused to the stench, Bo couldn't really blame him, but the sudden happiness he felt at seeing Xander was quickly intermingled with a searing embarrassment. As a general rule, Bo didn't like to show weakness to other people, and he was in a very vulnerable state right now. It was an effort not to jerk away from Xander's touch as he began examining Bo for injuries, and although he did remain still, it was obvious that he felt tense and uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he mumbled in response to Xander's curse, not realizing the other boy was simply upset with the situation rather than Bo himself.
The appearance of the flask was the first thing that seemed to really make him perk up. He took it and eagerly downed the contents, largely ignoring Xander's instruction to take it slowly. Afterward, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and handed the flask back. The entire time that Xander had been in the room, Bo had avoided meeting the older boy's gaze, but now he looked at him hesitantly, seeming almost wary. "I'm... Not really sure," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It was a man. Someone who works here, I guess. He looked like a noble." As the effects of Xander's concoction began to take hold, the discomfort of the craving finally ebbed, and he started to relax a little.
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Post by Val on May 12, 2020 21:08:26 GMT
Xander gave Bo a few moments to relax as he mulled over why someone would target the boy. It seemed random, but it was difficult to believe in chance when it felt so personal. Whoever this man was, he had just made it onto Xander's growing list of enemies. He would pay just as dearly as the rest of them.
Tucking away the now empty flask, he regarded Bo decisively, "He won't get away with this." It was yet another impassioned vow that he fully intended on fulfilling. It wasn't uncommon for nobleman to take advantage of the poor and the weak. Children often disappeared without a trace, especially orphans who had no one to look out for them. Xander was one of the lucky ones to be taken in by one of the most powerful women in the country, and he owed it to her to continue to protect the powerless.
Xander didn't appear to direct any judgement toward Bo's pitiful state. He already regarded the boy as a younger brother of sorts, and was more than happy to be a savior in Bo's eyes. Standing up, he gripped Bo's arm and dragged him to his feet, "Come on," he urged, nudging him toward the door, "We have to get out of here."
Stepping out of the room, he perused the hallway to make sure they were still alone. Finding that their escape route was clear, he turned to wait for Bo to get his bearings. His eyes lingered on the door to the makeshift prison and he suddenly felt compelled to leave their kidnapper a message. Slipping a knife from his belt, he approached the door and began to carve into the wood. After a few moments, he stepped back to admire his work; a large, jagged 'X' now marred the door.
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Post by eragon on May 16, 2020 20:48:26 GMT
Bo looked at Xander, the wariness now fading a little as he had a few moments to process that the other boy had actually come looking for him, and evidently, planned on getting revenge on the man who had done this to him. He looked away again, staring at the floor as he marveled at this sudden revelation. Did Xander actually care about him? He'd promised Bo a family already, but Bo didn't trust easily, and he hadn't fully believed that Xander actually meant what he'd said. People said a lot of things, and most often they were lies.
As Xander grabbed his arm and began dragging him up, Bo was jarred from his thoughts and scrambled to his feet. He was still a little unsteady, but he was eager to be gone from this place and didn't hesitate to follow Xander out the door. When Xander suddenly went back, Bo halted with some impatience, glancing frequently between Xander and the still empty hallway. Prompted by his restlessness, he was about to ask what Xander was doing when he finally finished the carving and stepped back. Bo stared at the 'X' on the door for a moment, feeling a stir of satisfaction, and then said, "What way did you come in?"
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Post by Val on May 22, 2020 5:42:40 GMT
A slow smirk had crept over Xander's face as he imagined the kidnapper coming back to his creepy little prison to find it empty. The mystery man would come to regret becoming another tick mark on his list of enemies, but the new addition made Xander feel infinitely more focused. As his sense of purpose was once again renewed, he turned to Bo.
"That way," he nodded toward the end of the hall and began moving, quickly tracing his steps toward the exit. He used his shoulder to shove the rusty door open and held it for Bo, taking the opportunity to give the boy a once over. Lennox had proven herself to be infinitely valuable, and he wasn't dense enough to deny the fact that he was becoming infatuated with her. Bo had a much different meaning to him. He was counting on the kid's loyalty above all else, but he expected Bo to prove himself useful in the future.
"Let's get the hell out of here," he commented, scanning the area outside before he continued onward, seeking the concealed passage that had allowed him entry.
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