Night Terror: Furiosa ~ Friday 12/06/4176

The throbbing pain in her temple did little to drown out the cold. Furiosa shivered. Her breath wafted towards a vacant ceiling. Stars in the vast black of night twinkled uncaringly down at her. She tucked her limbs under her, trying to relax her shoulders that were hunched tightly from the cold. The voices of humans could be heard through the tattered blanket that was crudely strung up as a makeshift door. Warm light spilled underneath the fabric as if to taunt her freezing skin.

“Feisty little thing, isn’t she?”

“Nearly cost Dave an ear!”

“Shut it you sad sack of-” the sound of scratchy fabric and muffled thumps followed.

“She should be awake for the next round.”

“How d’ya wager she’ll do in a fight?”

“She’ll be splendid. Or she’ll be dead. Same as the rest of ‘em.”

A tremor of fear and anger coursed through her spine and made it’s home tracing up her cheek bones and settling into her muzzle. She fought off the urge to snarl at the idea of being thrown into a fighting pit for human amusement. Beside her another ‘buck stirred under the burlap sack it curled beneath. She could just make out a lone, golden eye peeking out of layers of dense fur, terrified. She tried to whisper to them, but her voice was dry and hoarse. All that came out was a soft creaking sound. Furiosa tagged at the heavy chain that bolted her to the wall, hoping the cold had loosened the metal’s integrity enough for her to make an escape. 

The sound was much louder than she had anticipated. The metal groaned and the length of chain rattled like an alarm that summoned the humans to their cell. The buck beside her began to whimper. Bundled snuggly into their coats they tramped through the doorway. Masks covered their faces from the cold so that only their eyes could be seen. And with them, to her surprise, was a tall ‘buck. A night plague, like Sygil. Their eyes were a mismatched pair, with one a piercing grey and the other a sage green. Aside from a small splash of black and greys on their withers and strange dark scales on their forelegs, they were almost entirely snow white. The humans parted for the night plague. Its eyes locked on Furiosa, regarding her with a kind of predatory gaze she’d never experienced before. The sharp eyes quickly shifted to the huddled form chained beside her. The ‘buck’s whip-thin tail lashed the burlap sack off the cowering buck. They shrieked and slammed their side to the wall, desperate to put as much space between them and the night plague as they could. For a brief moment, Furiosa could see years of scarring latticed across the terrified buckleo beside her. For a moment, and nothing more. As the night plague bared their fangs and lunged. The massive canines snapping shut inches from the buckleo’s face. They cried out in alarm.

“Don’t you dare touch them!” Instincts finally returning, overriding her body’s response to the cold, Furiosa threw herself forward the few feet that the chain would allow. She strained against it, exposing her retractable fangs and tried to appear as fierce as she could.

The white buck turned to her with a devilish grin. Their eyes gave her a once over, fangs to face, before shrugging. It was quick as lightning, the events that followed that impossibly mundane action. A blast of icy breath and a well placed flick of their powerful tail and it was over. One second, the scarred buckleo was alive, shivering and hiding their face in their paws, and the next they were nothing more than frozen shards scattering over the floor. The sound of their shards careening to the floor much like the tinkling of sinister bells. Furiosa’s face fell as she stared at the scene before her. The night plague stalked past her, so close that if she inhaled they’d be touching side to side. Only she can’t breathe, the air is caught in her throat like the vice grip that was around their heart.

“Didn’t touch ‘em. Just like you asked, doll.” The night plague’s voice was like sandpaper.

Furiosa spun in their direction, fangs snapping at the empty space where they had once been. But they were already following the humans back to the other room.

The’buck laughed. “You’re a vicious lil’ beastie, aren’t you? You’ll need that here.” He turned his eyes in her direction. And for a second, he looked almost apologetic. 

“Mutt!” Hollered a gruff voice from the other room.

Wordlessly, the night plague heeded the call. The ragged curtain swishing back into place. Furiosa inhaled shakily. She needed to get out of here. Looking up at the night sky she closed her eyes tightly and made a prayer to anything listening to find her way home, without leading the bastards who brought her here back there too. She turned her attention to the chain that bound her, trying as quietly as she could to fiddle with the steel collar. It was loose, but not enough to fit over head without losing most of her ears. The clasp however, appeared less sturdy. It seemed the attempt at protecting the poor buckleo had busted the spring mostly loose. She pawed at it, cursing herself for not trying hard enough to hold a humanoid form. Now seeing why Sygil placed so much importance on learning to master both. Thumbs would be a game changer for her right now.

The boisterous laughing of the humans faded, and somewhere a door closed taking the last shrill sounds of their voices with. Something clacked against the stone floor behind her and she flipped her head around, eyes wide and seeking the source of the noise. A few moments of silence and she was back to pawing at the collar clasp with her back hooves. Another crack, this time she looked back in time to catch what was no doubt the third stone tossed, fling over the wall and bounce off a small device she’d failed to notice before. A camera. Something was trying to warn her that she was being watched.

As the minutes ticked past she became restless, unsure of what to do. Any move she made now would be in direct view of the camera. The humans in the other room had become eerily silent. Somewhere in the building she was trapped in, music blared. The feeling of thumping bass reverberated in the stones below her. She lay with her back to the camera, the shattered buckleo’s burlap sack half covering her after the wind had blown it against her side.

A faint whisper made her ear twitch, and she tried to stay still and not jump.

“He had a key.” The whisper repeated from the other side of the wall.

Her eyes darted about the stone wall before her, spotting a small rectangular weep hole, just about the size of a man made ‘buck’s square nose. The buckleo had been blocking it with his body while he’d been curled up under the sack. 

“It unlocks the gate. When the clock tolls 11, run.” The voice whispered cryptically. “He’s coming.”

“Who?” Furiosa whispered back. She waited with bated breath for a reply. But whoever had sat on the other side of the wall refused to answer. 

The sound of footsteps and the flip of the cloth alerted her to the night plague’s return. In his jaws was the remains of some recent kill and he tossed it. The mangled limb hit the ground with a wet smack. 

“Dinner’s served, my lady. Oh and uh,” He looked around, scenting the air and then pinning her with his gaze. “Who ya talking to?” he asked as if to be casual. But Furiosa could tell he was suspicious. 

Furiosa glared at him. “Who’s there to talk to?” She barked back sarcastically.

The night plague smirked and cracked his neck. “Aww, poor thing, if you’re lonely maybe I could be of assistance?”

“You’re barking up the wrong tree, bub.” Furiosa growled. She lashed her tail as she stood to her four, the night plague sauntering too close for comfort.

“Oh? Do we have ourselves an ice queen? How fitting!” He puffed out his chest. “They call me-”

“I’m not interested.” She replied flatly, scowling in annoyance. 

He raised his silver brows, as if impressed. “My, my! What sharp teeth you have!” He laughed as he continued to circle her. “All the better to fight with in the ring, I hope. I’d sure hate to see you lose.” He spoke in a tone of mock sincerity. But the quick glance he shot to the camera over her shoulder wasn’t lost on her. “I do hope you survive... The last few didn’t.”

Furiosa growled, lowering her head and raising her hackles. She pounced forward, slapping down her front paws and snapping her teeth right beside one of his elongated ears in a show of defiance. “I can handle myself! Want a private show of it, frosty?” she seethed.

At the insult the night plague backed away, laughing so hard he wheezed. When he finally got control of himself he swiped at his face with his knee. 

“Frosty, eh? That’s a good one! Very clever, Queenie. Well, I’ll let you eat in peace. Food’s getting cold.” He strolled to the door he’d emerged from flicking his tail with a final “Tah~ tah” before once again disappearing.

Furiosa sighed. She sank to the floor again. Carefully lifting her forepaw she closed her eyes in relief when she saw the shimmer of silver between her toes. When the night plague had circled her he’d kicked bits of the former buckleo out of his way, sending the small silver key sliding within her reach. The moment she’d pounced, she’d used it as an excuse to again jerk on the chain. She hoped it had been enough to loosen the clasp just enough to-

There was a click and the chain fell loose. She pretended to sneeze to cover the noise but was a second or two behind. She sat in silence, head on her paws to hide the key and loose chain, waiting for the humans to walk in. When neither they nor that night plague poked their hideous noses through the curtain, she lifted her head. But now came the question. Should she run? Or wait?

The cameras would see her. But if she stayed there was a chance they would come back and discover she had freed herself. Her tail flicked against the ground, brushing the goat leg. She winced and pulled her tail to her side. Fight or flee, one thing was certain, she wasn’t eating that. It was probably tainted. And if it was, they were probably waiting and watching for her to eat it and pass out. She listened for the sounds of the humans. But other than the rumble of the bass from somewhere else, she heard nothing.

So she set to the one thing she could do. Thinking. Scanning the room, careful not to lift her neck in a way that exposed the broken chain or make it obvious what she was doing, she took stock of her surroundings. In the corner below the camera was a large pile of blankets with a shaggy rug sitting on top. There were barrels scattered about, a few on their sides and clearly empty. Pressed against the far wall was a curious stack of boxes. Left like a ladder, almost as if it were left there intentionally. From what she could see, there was only one camera and it wasn’t facing the boxes in the least. She knew a trap when she saw one. She was beginning to run through likely scenarios when somewhere on the other side of the wall a clock began to chime. A zap of realization sparked behind her ears. She scooped the key into her mouth just as the lights went out in the other room.

She bolted across the room, and tossed a pile of wadded sheets and the shaggy rug onto the spot where she sat and covered it with the sack. Hoping the camera didn’t have a backup power supply to give her decoy making away. It wasn’t much but she hoped this may give her a few extra minutes in her head start. She took off through the ragged curtain.

The second room was dark, dimly lit by the smoldering remains of a fire. She glanced to the side of the wall the other ‘buck had spoken to her from and found nothing but a dirty mattress. They must have made a run for it too. Furiosa beelined for the first door she could see but slid to a stop when she heard angry shouts and the stomping of boots on wooden stairs on the other side. The humans were coming back up. She turned on her heels and quickly and quietly she made for the stairs leading up. She spotted a small alcove underneath them and dove into it just as the door swung open.

“Merv, I’ve told you to change that dang ginny how many times?!” A shorter male hollered.

A taller one in a brown coat replied. “It’s a classic! That thing runs on gasoline- how many people bother with resources like that no? It’s untraceable!”

“It's a piece a’ junk!” the shorter one said, slapping the taller one’s shoulder. They marched noisily up the stairs, the beam of their flashlight bobbing as they went. 

Furiosa was already down the stairs before they’d made it to the upper landing. The building was bare, ripped down to the studs and stone walls. Whatever it had once been, now it only stood as a home for the most monstrous of people and activities. The poorly executed gut-job left wires and piping exposed, and Furiosa scrambled from small hiding place to hiding place, trying to avoid the line of sight of the flashlights and the owners of the belligerent voices she heard. Ahead of her through the long hall was a screen door and a flight of stairs. Beyond it, a large steel door set in a round sort of grate that looked just like a gate. She rushed forward, and right as she was about to throw open the door and dart down a large shape stepped in front of her. 

Furiosa gazed up at him, frozen. He stood calmly over her, head over his shoulder watching the flashlights from the large room behind him where shouts and snarls were increasing the level of panic.

“Mind the bells.” 

Furiosa looked up, now seeing the string of bells once owned by numerous other ‘bucks hanging from the screen door. She nosed it open and heard the soft tingling of the chimes as she skidded down the stairs, breath wafting in front of her face as she fumbled the key into the lock.

“What was that?!”

“Someone’s at the door!”

“Just me, fellas!” The voice of the night plague called from the stairwell jovially. “Making sure nobody escapes.” He looked soberly down at Furiosa, who was pushing open the metal gate, trying with her utmost ability not to let the hinges squeal.

She tugged her head in the direction of the snowy cityscape outside. 

Come with me.

He cautiously shook his head and looked quickly to the other room. A light came on upstairs with a loud cry of excitement. He looked back at her, his face stern. 

Run.

She dropped the key in the snow beside the door and bolted as the lights outside the former apartment complex came alive. She sailed across the lots and dove through the city streets as if they were on her heels, despite no sound of chase pursuing her. Two city blocks. Four. Seven. She kept putting as much distance as she could between the Killing Floor and herself. Bobbing and weaving, cutting down alleys and climbing over fallen rubbish. If they wanted to track her, she’d make them work for it. She clawed through brambles and vines, slipping and sliding down a drainage ditch and squirmed into an old aqueduct. She heaved. Lungs burning from the cold air and her legs were shaking from a combination of the temperature and the effort of running so fast for so long. She shivered from the adrenaline wearing off. Unable to shake the image of the night plague buck from her mind. Why had he stayed?

She let herself rest for only a moment before she climbed back through the brambles and got her bearings. She set off for Rest, careful not to be followed. She hadn't made it near half way when Maeve found her first. The blue doe was upon her before she could hear or see her. She slammed into her, sending them both tumbling through the snow. Sygil followed shortly behind them. They worried and fussed over her, taking shelter under the eaves of a decomposing gas station.

“What the hell happened?! A quick in and out! That’s all it was supposed to be!” Maeve hissed. She latched firmly onto Furiosa’s ear in means of punishment, and this time she was worried Maeve may actually pierce it.

“I found the missing ‘buck.” Fury said after Sygil pulled her loose. 

“Where is he?” He asked.

Fury recounted the horrific scene of the buck shattering. Maeve sat agape.

Sygil hung his head solemnly. “I know the night plague you mentioned. He’s Mordecai. He’d been part of us for some time.”

“Traitorous fleabag bast-”

Furiosa leaned her head against Maeve, silencing her flow of insults like closing a dam. The doe settled, if only slightly, and curled her tail around Furiosa’s haunch.

“He helped me escape.” Furiosa said after a moment.

“I can only assume he’s saving face.”

“But why?” Maeve asked, defensively.

“For this exact reason. Maybe the situation is more severe than we anticipated.” He stood to his for and motioned for the other two to follow. 

“Where are we going?” Maeve asked, looking off in the direction of their camp. “Base is that way.”

“We’re headed top-side.”

“What?” They asked in unison.

“This is beyond us. We take it to the Moths. Furiosa, you need to come with. You’re the one who’s been inside. They’ll need to speak with you.”

“The Moths?” Maeve said incredulously. “You’re taking her to the Moths?”

“Who are the Moths?”

“Only the biggest crime syndicate in Capenna-Center.” Maeve answered.

The night plague’s face flashed behind her closed eyes, and Furiosa quieted the squall of nerves chewing at her brain. “If they can help end what’s going on, then I’m not worried.”

Mave looked at her, brows scrunched in doubt.

Furiosa pushed her head under Maeve’s. “Especially if I have you with me.”