NOPE.

[Zevran Arainai]

Amir Malik

"Let's make a deal..."

Amir was not amused, nor softened by the maiden’s warm and squishy exterior. When she took off her blindfold to show that she had indeed been able to see the entire time, he was baffled. Why fake being blind in the first place? If it was to earn her the bandit’s mercy, why take it off in the presence of one? It made no sense at all. How irritating. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? Mind your own, woman. I’ve never met a bee I couldn’t step on.” He wasn’t phased in the least by her pouting, nor by her silky voice. Amir had dealt with such things many, many times before, being a slaver. He’d fallen for it when he was younger, but now that he was pushing his thirties and seen great beauty all over Albrind, there wasn’t a woman in the world who could sway him. At least, that’s what he thought.

“Do women always talk this much?” A rhetorical question, delivered in the most rotten tone that he could muster. He feared (or anticipated with glee) the possibility that if the bandit before him rejected his offer, he would simply have to find a way to break out of the cage himself. Or, regrettably, seek the aid of the useless women surrounding him. He had no idea what they were even capable of, but underestimated them nonetheless.

[jadeshaw88]

If only night could hold you...


Ari frowned a little as the same question was blasted at her by two different people. She figured it would be easier just to explain up front but she really didn't want to give away yet another weakness. Placing her hands on the ground on either side of her, she shoved herself up a little so that she could get into a more comfortable position. For several long moments, she chewed on different responses and then sighed, deciding that telling the truth would be the easiest. She didn't like lies anyway. "Because of certain...qualities that I possess, any kind of bright light is agonizing on my eyes. I can only really see at night or in dark places." She shrugged before she rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them. "And I never said that you couldn't be cruel, you've made that perfectly clear, handsome. I simply said that it was unnecessary." She ached all over from her fight with the coyotes earlier and the various cuts on her body throbbed but she didn't care anymore. What did it matter when she was probably going to be a slave from this point forward.

She turned her attention to the girl who had spoken earlier and gave her a small smile. "It's hard to tell the difference between flies and bees sometimes and I have had more than my fair share of stings. However, even bees can be calmed with a little smoke." She winked at her and then ran her fingers through her hair, wishing that she had a mirror to check the sorry state of her appearance. She felt like she had been dropped in a maelstrom and had come back up as chum.

The slaver was starting to piss her off again. Clearly he had not been with a real woman in a very long time. She gave him a sickly sweet smile and tilted her head to the side to expose a little more neck. "I talk to amuse myself during bleak circumstances and from your tone, I'm guessing that the majority of the women that you're used to are located in the slums of the world and need to be paid to spend even a a second of their time with someone such as yourself." She said in a cool tone, though she kept the sweet smile on her face. "Either that or you get your kicks from tumbling your own merchandise. Those what don't have a choice in the matter. I highly doubt that you have the sophistication or the charm to pull a woman of standard." She gave a small laugh and then looked up at the ceiling of the cave. He wasn't the only one that could dish out vinegar.

...Where I can see you, my love

[Zevran Arainai]

Amir Malik

"Let's make a deal..."

The slaver couldn’t help but to break a smile at the ‘bee’s’ attempt to sting him with her words. Perhaps she wasn’t a total waste of oxygen after all. Since Charlotte had gone eerily silent, it was strangely satisfying to have someone who would dare to argue with him. He accepted her challenge with an acid tongue of his own; he simply couldn’t refuse. He could’ve cared less about her praise for his face or her subtle invitations. She wasn’t remarkable, but her bravery was amusing.

“You seem quite bitter about this. Are you angry at the fact that that I’ve been to countless whorehouses yet I somehow managed to miss you?” Amir wasn’t the type to keep girlfriends. He was a businessman with only one goal in mind: To make his profit. Not to mention that fact that he was a wanted man in many areas and it was much too risky to trust anyone except for himself and his trade partner. It was true, though, that he had forced himself upon his slaves. Not all of them, but some, occassionally. It would’ve been a lie for any slaver to say that they hadn’t at least once. It was easy to break a woman in that sort of way, but that is an entirely different story.

“The next time I see a woman of standard, I’ll be sure to consult you for guidance.” It was at this point that he would put his burning stick of wrapped tobacco to his lips and enjoy the sweet satisfaction of the smoke that would fill his lungs and warm him from the cold of the mountain. He couldn’t though, and it was maddening. Still, although he felt mildly humored by the blind girl’s banter, he was irritated by the fact that she would interrupt him during his conversation with the bandit. Didn’t she understand that he was trying to get them out of there?

[Moment`s Indecision`]

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MιRRoR, яoяяιM on the wall,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Who is. . .xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxI AM the fairest of them all.

There was much going on around Charlotte, that was for certain. She was sure that she’d heard Justine speak to her, but hadn’t been able to muster the words to reply. From her first few bitter mumbles, her mind had gone blank, still numb from the pain that shot through it. It wouldn’t stop throbbing. The princess had to take the undesirable position of leaning against the cage while sitting on the ground. Shameful. Disgraceful. Dishonorable to her royal position. All of these godforsaken bandits would die a painful, miserable death at her hands. They would suffer.

There were some things going on around her that she quickly became aware of, despite her disorientation. One of the things was the supposedly blind woman whom had been cast into the cage with them. Another was one of the bandits conversing with Eli. And then there was something that Eli had mentioned about her. His offer still stands. A ransom. After a moment of sitting after the conversation had been furthered, the information clicked in her mind.

A sudden anger surged through her veins, causing her breath to stop short and her hands to clench into fists. That no good, dirty rotten – the blind woman made a statement that pushed Charlotte’s fury over the edge – slaver! If he had any involvement in her capture, it was clear that his intentions would only be to benefit himself. So, did he expect to somehow make her a slave out of this? Was that the reason why he often spoke to her the way he did? Was that the reason why he acted as if he had more authority over her? Charlotte would not stand for it.

Already, twisted thoughts of how she could play Eli’s little game were spinning around in her head. For now, she would play along. For now, she would not admit her knowledge of what he was. She would see how things panned out. But there was one thing that was thrown right out into the open that Charlotte could not ignore.

“You know, I find it rather ironic that you say women talk too much.” She stood up, making her best attempt to push the dizziness out of her head. She immediately closed the distance between her and Eli, eyes burning with anger. “Personally, I believe you should have your tongue cut out for talking too much, Eli.”

She folded her arms over her chest to restrain herself from lashing out at Eli. As much as she was causing a stir right now, she didn’t want things to escalate too much.

“So, you gave these parasites the lovely idea to kidnap me and hold me for ransom?” She inquired with a bitter smile. “Do tell me what’s in it for you. I’m quite curious.”

C a r exxxxf o rxxxxa nxxxxxA p p l e ?

xxxxxxxx
xxx

[jadeshaw88]

If only night could hold you...


Ari's smile brightened when she heard his words and she shook his head. She wasn't going to get through to him, not when he had such a strong defense mechanism against kind words. She was intrigued that he thought she was lowly enough to attache herself to a whorehouse and shook her head at the very idea. She liked to have fun and she appreciated beauty when she could see it. She had had her fair share of partners but who wanted to actually waste more than a night on someone who was blind by day? No, she had resigned herself to be a spinster since she was a little girl. Though her own future was normally blackened to her, she could tell that it was going to be very bleak and very lonely.

She sighed and shook her head. "I was merely asking a question and I am glad that you answered me for once." She told him, putting the smile back on her face as she moved her head in a small circle to loosen up for what was sure to be an icy battle. "All the same, you would never find me in a whorehouse, even if it was for my own entertainment. I should also tell you that, should you find a woman of standard, no matter how much...consulting you do with me." She told him with a small sigh before she ran her fingers through her hair again. "Someone with such a dismal outlook on woman is going to have a hard time getting anything other than the cheap doxies that you're already getting." Her own attraction to him was already waning as their conversation wore on.

When she heard yet another girl speak, she turned her head a smiled at her. Finally there was someone in there that she recognized for sure. She had set an appointment to read the princess' fortune before she had the dream that caused her to ditch the caravan. She wondered if the girl would out her for what she was. She hoped not, the last thing she wanted the slaver to know was the special abilities she possessed.

...Where I can see you, my love

((Slight edit...))

[Zevran Arainai]

Amir Malik

"Let's make a deal..."

The smallest tinge of pure happiness sparked within him as Charlotte’s sweet, deadly voice arose above the others’. “Ah, so you do live,” He remarked, as a toothy grin spread across his face, the very same he’d given her at their very first encounter at the campfire before the attack. “You should be thanking me, for you could be dead like all the others.” Amir’s expression did not waiver when the woman in red approached him with a scorn in her eyes that could only rival that of a savage beast out to kill. He was forced to ignore the blind woman because of this; after all, the Lady was a woman of ‘standard.’

“Who would let something as lovely and valuable as you go to waste? Understand my plight.” He was too bold. As eerily gentle as he could, the slaver lifted a hand to brush some of the unkept black hair from Charlotte’s scowling face. “Think about it, won’t you? After your father pays your ransom, you’ll be sent back home safely, and the money will go towards helping dozens of poor, unfortunate souls. Your sacrifice will be legendary and you’ll be hailed as a saint.”

Amir couldn’t tell if the Lady was bluffing or if she were truly battling him. After all, he’d told them that he had a plan. Of course, they didn’t know what it was, but he had told them. Nevertheless, he’d planned to take Charlotte for himself, but it was true that it was unclear to him whether she was simply playing along with that plan or not. Whatever she was doing, the Slaver kept his voice low and factly, as usual when doing his dealings. “As for me, I may, in fact, be killed after the exchange is made. They’ll have no need for me after that. I would die gracefully, knowing that the caravan was spared because of your capture and that my aid in getting your ransom money spared the lives of many.”

Amir himself was immensely sickened by his own words. He could almost picture Sarafina cracking a smile at his blatant attempts to act like he cared about something, for once. Still, his smile didn’t fade. “Even so, your fate ultimately lies in the hands of this gentleman. It would do you right to simply sit down and shut up.” He turned his head to the side a little towards the blind girl, eyes immovable from Charlotte. “You, too.”

[Phloxx]

[ ] ⇢ Karlisle Flynn

Getting your brains ate would probably be the best way to go. At least Karlisle thought so. He figured if the blunt force of getting your skull cracked open didn’t kill you, then the thing clawing at the inside of your head would. The brain was nerveless, so you wouldn’t feel a thing. It would be much better than bleeding out, much better. If someone botched the job, then it could take hours. A little gnawing on the nerveless brain though, and it’s exit stage right, no extended suffering. That’s how he wanted to die. Seemed a bit barbaric to most people, but Karlisle saw it as logic. “Dying in yer sleep would be good too.” The thief said in a sing-songy voice, fingers fiddling through his bag of treasures. He wondered idly if sitting on the curb all day would kill him just as effectively. Possibly – the sun was very hot.

Karlisle sucked in the bottom of his lip between his teeth, chewing on it. Not out of nervousness, but rather out of habit. He was concentrating, estimating the value of the stolen possessions in his sack. He’d taken a lot, the elephants wouldn’t be happy, but it’d certainly made him crack a smirk. Closing up the bag, Karlisle stood, feeling cheery. He began to sing to himself as he sauntered down the dusty streets of Shahrazad, the red earth billowing underneath his feet. The melody started slow. “Speak to me, red bobbin’ robin! Speak to me clear! Out here I am, on the happy trail! With nothing but your song in my ear! I have seen the lark soar high at morn! Heard his song up in the blue. I have heard the blackbird pipe his note but none of them can sing as sweet as you!” Karlisle twirled in place, a wide grin stretching across his mouth, “So speak to me, red bobbin’ robin! Speak to me clear! Out here I am, on the happy trail! With nothing but your song in my eaaaaar!” Cresendo. Cresendo. And he was finished, but not because it was the end of the tune. A tanned hand tipped his favourite flowered hat over his features. His green hues stared, fixated on something. Guards. Royal guards, out to catch his poor little self. The bullies. Stalling him from his outbursts just because they couldn’t take a few jokes. Well, to be fair, he had injured maybe one of them. Or two. Or possibly three. Hm. Okay, definitely no more than eight. Yeah eight sounded good.

Veering to his right, Karlisle continued his walk, whistling softly to himself. He found himself halted, however, when faced with the storefront of a coffee house. "Oooh. I haven't had my liquid ecstasy this morning. Lovely timing." He said, eyes getting bright. These eyes only brightened when Karlisle noticed a certain figure propped up against a chair, sitting comfortably within the shop. Well, he'd definitely seen that face before. Taking a casual stroll into the cafe, the thief sat down next to the familiar gentleman, smiling - as if he was being told a private joke, "Morning." He said, his greeting sounding pleasant, but in truth the thief found something very funny. Very funny indeed. His pale hues practically danced with laughter.

[GaffTapeGirl]

ξxϨ ε ɭ ε ɳ α x ɱ ε δ α ɳ δ ɤ αxξ


“You can try to tie me down. You can try to string me up, but you’ll have no luck.”

Selena kept her eyes closed as they continued to carry her. The sensation of being carried was making her sick, and no matter how gentle they tried to be, each step jarred her head and her dented ribs. The warrior-girl heard the woman's reply to her question and she considered it. The answer was strange to her ears, but not unresonable. In the world Selena lived in, and had grown up in, the mindset was completely different than the one this woman was voicing. Selena was grateful that they were not going to kill her or enslave her, of course, but with the way her world was, with everyone stabbing each other in the back, such kindness was mind boggling.

The girl felt the two of them slow and then she was being lowered to the earth once more. Where ever they were headed, they had clearly not reached their destination yet. The ground met the back of her head jarringly and stars winked in front of her eyes. She could tell he had been trying to be gentle, but even the slightest bumps caused her world to spin like a top. Selena gritted her teeth and closed her eyes until the wave of pain and dizziness passed.

It was then that she realized that the leader had failed to answer her question. That was a troubling thought. If he would not explain why he was acting so kind, perhaps there was more to this than she had originally thought. Perhaps there was cause to be worried and skeptical, or maybe this man could not even explain why he was doing it to himself. If their places had been reversed, Selena knew she would have taken her fallen enemy's life without a second thought. Maybe this man was having misgivings.

A horse moved near by, blowing through it's wide nostrils. The noise was warm and airy, comforting and full of memories. From where she lay, Selena could not see the horse, or the man, but she tried not to be too paranoid. Just because he was not in her sight, did not mean that he was up to something. There was a moment of silence, except for the blowing of the horse. Finally the girl pushed herself up just a fraction of an inch so that she could see what was going on. The action pained her and caused her head to spin violently, but she managed it. As shameful as it was, she knew she could not walk in her condition. Wherever they were going, she hoped it would not be far, if they put her on the horse, the ride would be painful indeed.

Selena's sea green eyes wandered back to the woman, and she remembered the question that had been asked of her. What was better, atonement or retribution? It was a question that was hard for her to answer. The way she had been raised said that retribution was the system she had always dealt with. Atonement... it was a phrase she understood, but was unfamiliar with.

"I am sorry if I seem..." she searched for the word, voice strained from trying to sit. "...ungrateful. This is strange to me... Not even my fellows would help me... unless there was something in it for them... I know they will assume I am dead... and they will not care..." She trailed off for a moment. She was alone. She had known that before, but now she actually could feel it in its entirety. She had been alone in the world since that fateful day two years previously. A battle and a dead man, that's all it took for her to realize that all the people who had pretended to care for her and support her, really did not care. Selena swallowed, blinking back tears, calming herself. "I do not understand why strangers... enemies even, would care... would want to help me..."

[Inconsistently Yours]

Ғerrin Шolfenstien
"I didn't want to hurt you, but you're so pretty when you cry."

x
x
x
x
x

▋The device was electromagnetically charged, built of heavy magnetized rings and radiowave transference. Of course radiowaves were a newly discovered thing, little more than a myth in this day and age. Ferrin had already been working on that one, though. Just needed a bit more funding from the Science Academy. Unfortunately they weren't too keen on the idea, being that he'd sort of blew up the last lab they'd given him. It seemed gunpowder condensed with nitrogen had a fairly radical reaction.
Ah, but the joys of science.
He could always hire a gypsy. Maybe he could score a good fortune telling that'd inform him of where he could get a significant power source. Then he'd show those other scientists, and the alchemists to boot.
A small silver spoon pinched between two bony fingers scooped a pile of sugar into his cup, stirring the liquid. Dark eyes watched the swirling colors of cream mixing into coffee.
Dark and light.
"Oh. Bloody Christ."
Ferrin blinked, the metaphoric lightbulb of realization lit. What if he could obtain dark energy and light energy and combine the two? Surely--
but how? What made both? He'd heard rumors of mysticism and magic, people born with certain abilities. He himself had skills, though he wouldn't think them anything along the lines of magic. Just evolved frontal lobe activity permitting concentrated energy that was conduced through telekinesis. But what if?
And then his attention was torn away, those dark pools turning their gaze to the male who now claimed the seat ever so improperly across from him, smiling and comfortable. Oddly comfortable. Did he know this man? Oh god, was he at the meeting? Ferrin was so terrible about remembering names and faces.
Politely tipping his head forward in greeting, hands folded before him atop the table, and he gave a tight smile.
"Ah, hello. Afternoon. Pleasure to... ah. See you."
His fingertips tapped together, anxious here before someone else, someone he was apparently supposed to remember, and what if this person was of importance to the science community? Ferrin scanned the other male carefully, looking for a sign of importance or regalement. Hell, even a name tag would be brilliant.
The boy was small, petite under Ferrin's perspective. Pretty looking more than masculine, maybe a bit on the wiry side. It reminded him of himself prior to puberty. How old was this boy? Of course, not really being the most socially apt individual, the scientist wasn't too good at determining such things. He'd been tricked more than once in his time by a man dressed in women's frock. Those were some interesting nights.
Not that it changed much of anything. He wasn't horribly picky and hardly had any sense of morality. ▋

[Tragoedia]

"The stray dog in me is dyed into my bones."

"I can bark and growl, but I don't have the guts to bite."

Bees could indeed be calmed with smoke. There was a mild look of suprise across Justine's face as Ari finished her statement, the..."half-blind" girl adding in a small wink.

For just a moment, it seemed as if Justine was about to say something back. That was also when Eli pitched in with his witty comments though. As a result, Justine kept her mouth shut and watched the two, along with Charlotte who then spoke up next, talk. Apparently just how she had gotten there had finally occured to her...and was she ever angry because of it.

Justine warily eyed Charloote as she moved closer to Eli, the princess's arms crossed in front of her and her tone somewhat bitter-sweet. Justine wondered, what will the bandits do if they catch their prisoners fighting?

She was no fool. Eli wasn't telling them everything. After all, how odd was it that he would help the bandits capture Charlotte only to give them, not him, the ransom money for her? Not only that, but he claimed that he was risking his own life doing this? Seriously? Of course there was the possibility that he might have just had a soft spot for bandits and all the "dozens of poor, unfortunate souls" in the world. Justine had to doubt it though.

I may be killed too. That thought came to her once again as she glanced suspiciously over at Eli. To be truthful, Justine herself was of no use to them at all. All she was was that random person who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time and was therefore captured along with the bandits' intended target. Not exactly the best place to be in... It was safe to say that that would lead to a few problems later.

"So you are doing all of this just to be sure that you will die an honorable, saintly death. What a good samaritan you are", she said to the slaver, sarcasm lightly dancing across the edges of the tone of her voice.

[Cobalt Masquerade]

Salieern Icewind

"His voice sent chills down mens spines and his glare froze blood..."

Salieern kept his expression icy, apparently she didn't think he was fast enough and a glance at her expression and eyes told him why. It seemed to him that she was in a blood craze and nothing would stop her, he had seen such things before in the wasteland when someone was on the edge and willing to do anything to survive and noted that they usually thought in the here and now more then in the future of the fight, which was what had saved him time before. He kept his sword in front of him, moving it back and forth slightly so that she focused on it while he felt for his quiver.

Salieern was quite pleased that he had his arrows with him and quickly stepped forward into the attack once again, though he would occassionally take out one arrow and aim to drive into into one of her legs or arms, true the strikes themselves were dangerous or would slow her but he planned on them compounding their effects so that she wouldn't notice until it was too late.

[Kasius Unlimited]

Jeroh Evran

"Even when watching the blackest of night I will come and take what I need, for like the darkness I shall engulf your world and claim it for my own."

Golden hues had stared at the occupants of the cage with a solid gaze as many thoughts passed his mind but he would not voice them, it was obvious something was completely wrong with all of this. Alas he knew he would be now considered the temporary leader of the people around him and they all wanted one thing, to go along with Eli and get rich quick.
The desires for easy money and easier living appealed to everyone even if there were gaps in the plan, the payoff was all they could see and to try and sway them otherwise was not an option seeing as Jeroh was not exactly a silk tongue like the man within the cage who called him brother.
Of course it was a joke to be called this mans brother but alas it was all part of the game, the assassin had played this game a few times himself when having been a spy or a spreader of misery amongst enemy camps and the like.
Jeroh had no real desire to lead but he figured he rather not play against the band for now since he was greatly outnumbered, for now the fear was thick as molasses with how many eyes watched him end the old lord.
For now this would be his tip in the scales until he could figure something out for a later time on whether he stays or goes, his eyes slowly focused on his blue haired prize that which caused him to do something very outside his norm.

Jeroh narrowed his eyes curious with himself on why this woman so easily swayed him but with a slow closing of his eyes he shook it off, it was especially easy since a female he assumed blind was chatty to the point of worth killing as he inwardly gritted his teeth.
"Very well Eli, we will go with what you have planned, the motion of these minds are with you for this... payoff. All I ask is you keep that one quiet or I will throw her off the highest cliff my people can find."
Jeroh had said while nodding to the not so blind woman, he then turned away from the group and motioned to a guard who understood it meant to release them.
"The blue haired female, have her brought to me."
Was his final order to the guards before walking away, as he went he looked at a particular guardsman who was tall and thin but toned with eyes slicker then a snake.
Jeroh had blinked three times in rapid succession as the guard merely nodded and went off to release Eli and his group, although Jeroh felt he was playing into a trap he figured he should get his own gears into motion as this pit has more then one agile mind.

[Zevran Arainai]

___________________________________________________________
_____________________________
_______





Chapter Three: Journey to the East

After surviving an encounter with a band of thieves, the Blue Caravan set off again. Its relentless leader guiding his shambled wagons through the mountainous terrain of Racluear. Although the caravan suffered a great loss, including the theft of both a wagon and a horse, it is the leader’s great experience traversing those mountains that allows his fellow travelers to survive the journey. Unfortunately, the Princess entrusted to him by the King himself had been taken along with other hostages. It would take a great deal of courage and skill to track her, or it would be Sir Athelstan’s head that would return to the King.

The Blue Caravan was not alone, however, accompanied by the Slave Caravan headed by the only remaining trader, Sarafina Tricka. As a result of the disappearance of her partner and several of the caravan’s young female travelers – including the Princess – the Traders’ partnership with the Blue Caravan was broken. It was assumed that it couldn’t have been a coincidence that the ladies were all taken without the possibility of foul play. With Sir Athelstan’s wary eye constantly pasted upon the Slavers in the past, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that they weren’t involved somehow. Still, Sarafina seeks out her partner, gaining clues of her own to his whereabouts but unable to abandon the slaves he’d left behind.

As for the five hostages, the deal had been made. They shared the proverbial handshake with the newest bandit leader, and in exchange for Charlotte’s worth in gold, they were shipped to Shahrazad in the same rickety wagon that had been taken from the Blue Caravan, driven by the man who’d taken it himself. As for why Jeroh volunteered to keep a watchful eye over them was a mystery, but it was clear that he had his own private agenda to attend to.

Three days. It took three days for the Blue Caravan to reach the outskirts of the city of Shahrazad. It was nighttime when they arrived there from their exhausting journey. They had been short on supplies and had been forced to strictly ration their water supply after reaching the Mongogglerus region. With the hostages having arrived before them, the Caravan was in no danger of further attack by the bandits because of the malicious deal that had been made to them. Even so, after the Caravan arrived in the city, there was not much more for them to lose.

Over those three days, the journey had been made mostly in silence for all three groups. It was a somber and serious silence for the members of the Blue Caravan, who focused on remaining vigilant and alert for the rest of their journey. For Sarafina and her captured, it was a silence that was caused by the tension between she and Sir Athelstan and the fact that they could no longer look to each other for support. For the hostages, it was the looming possibility that the bandit leader could change his mind that kept them all silent.

Now, having arrived almost a day before the Blue Caravan into the city, the bandit leader and his prisoners find themselves in a dark, run down, and dirty inn in the poorest part of Shahrazad where operations could be kept secret. Sir Athelstan’s and Sarafina’s wagons have just arrived at the gate. All travelers’ first tasks vary, whether it be to rest for the night, to seek solace in a filthy tavern, to drop off a gaggle of merchandise, or to find a long-lost friend. The only thing that can be predicated for sure is that our group will find themselves in more trouble than they ever expected.

[Zevran Arainai]

Amir Malik

"Let's make a deal..."

The journey had been a harsh one, even for a seasoned traveler like Amir Malik. There wasn’t much food to go around, nor was the atmosphere a pleasant one amongst the captured. The tension between the five was so thick that Amir was unsure that even his knife could cut through it. Everyone their own hatred towards him, whether it be because he was simply an advocate for the slave trade, because he’d spoken down to them, or because he’d gambled with their very lives. Few words had been spoken between the five, but harsher glares could’ve never been given.

Still, it held true that Amir had done what he had promised to do and gotten their group of out of the prison that was their cold steel cage in the mountains. Surely, that alone forgave him for the dozens of times he’d had to tell the girls to shut up. He looked rough. They all looked rough. The changing climates of the day, the night, the mountains, and the desert had taken a toll on their appearances, to say the least. After those three days, the stolen wagon stunk to high hell of body odor, dirt, and blood. Amir didn’t care. His mind was focused on more important things. Sarafina. His slaves. His own wagons. How he’d escape the eye of the dark-skinned bandit.

When they’d reached the city of Shahrazad, Amir couldn’t have imagined a more wonderful sight. The city was his home. He had been born and raised there, and it was in Shahrazad that he took his very first slave at the age of seventeen. Ah, fond memories… He smiled at the thought. Amir knew the streets like the back of his hand. It was in the Yadhathi District that he made his start at life. It was in the Zarafir District that he’d made his start at the Trade, and it was the Fanahad District where he’d built a home for his family when the money began to roll in.

So, according to their agreement, Aria and Justine were set free, practically thrown onto the streets. Charlotte was put into a dark room at the dirty inn and kept under lock and key. Amir was left to do business on his own. The bandit wasn’t stupid. He knew that if ‘Eli’s’ claim to Charlotte’s nobility was true, there was no way in hell that he’d waste her; he’d either retrieve her ransom or he’d come back to claim her for himself. Anyone who knew anything about the ‘Slaver kind’ would expect that. As for Norah, it appeared that the man had different plans for her.

His first task: To go to the Parshin di Sathaza. If Sarafina still lived, she would’ve known to meet him there.

[artfreek]

~~~~Nesa Comec~~~~


The ride through the mountains hadn't been pleasant and Nesa had spent most a lot of the time in a wagon. When the caravan leader came back the bandit that was with him stirred up the caravan. Everyone was weary about it, but the caravan leader had decided to bring the girl bandit with him and he was believed to make wise decisions. There had to be some logic in his choice. When Nesa first saw the girl bandit she saw the blood on her and nearly ran away to shut herself in a caravan, but she forced herself to stay and not run away. Shoving past her need to get away she looked closer at the girl she noticed the bandit couldn't be that much older than herself. How could some one so young choose the life of a bandit?

After the caravan leader came it was noticed that some people were missing, but the caravan pressed on, however, going through it's grueling journey. When they finally arrived at Shahrazad Nesa was wracked with hunger pains. Hunger wasn't something foreign to her, but she was always decent distance from a town. Towns were the source of her profit and how much she got depended on the people who lived there and what people gave her dictated what and how much she would eat. Now that she was finally in a town she would be able to perform, but she wouldn't perform at night when no one was up and about except drunks and criminals. They weren't the people to perform for and hunger was her number one priority and thankfully she had some money to buy some food and possibly sleep in a bed something that was the lap of luxury for her.

Nesa left the caravan with her pack, putting on her shoes, and started her search for an inn. It took her a while to find one and she was weary as she traveled through the streets. You never knew who was walking around and she knew that some people wanted to cause her harm. She finally found an inn and she got some looks as she walked in whether it was the fact that she was a young girl by herself or how dirty and scruffy she was from travel. It could have been both, but no one sad anything to her until she sat down at a table when a waitress came. The food tasted fantastic and she sat enjoying it while she watched everyone around her. This may be a place to perform.