Blood Slaves Return (Private)

[Blink]

Her eyes shifted back and forth from him to her own hand, and before she knew it he had cut himself on the very rock that had gotten her. She couldn't help but giggle at it, the coincidence of all of it. Allowing him to intertwine his fingers with hers, the moment their blood connected she could feel it in every nerve on her body. Overtaken with the love and lust she pressed her lips against his, matching him in ferocity and passion. This was what their blood did, connected them in a deeper way than any other being. Only another Tainted could understand how it felt, the deep down feeling of two bodies and minds connected by one heart.

Their modest bath quickly turned into another loving moment for the Tainted's. Each moment that passed causing their bodies to intertwine in more ways than one. Careful to remain silent as to not alert the other tenants in baths next to theirs Nevayah continued with the escapade as she placed her hand where she always seemed to, wrapped in his mess of hair. She pulled at it and pressed so that his lips were more forcefully on her own if at all possible, only stopping to take a breath now and then. The entire time she left her other hand connected with his.  If it were up to her this moment would never end, she could be like this with him forever. Their bodies so in sync with one another... so connected. This day had turned out to be one of the best in a while, so great in fact that she started to cry as she was overcome with emotion.

She kissed through her tears for a few moments, until finally breaking contact and pulling her hand away. Sitting back a bit she lifted a hand to wipe away some of the tears from her already wet face. "Lanister I-" she paused as the sobs started to overcome her body. "... I love you more than anything in this world. Without you I would still be a slave to my own mind, never having lived a single day as far as I am concerned." Then without warning she lurched forwards at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. "I love you so much."

[Salzem]

It was their most quiet work ever, each one of them viciously kissing, pushing and pulling on one another, but doing so in such a way mindful to the other people participating in their baths beside them. The last thing they needed was someone coming in there to find out what was up, only to see both Lanister and Nevayah in each-other's arms, making out in such a way that it would make the purest of priests/nuns go red with jealousy. Lanister only ever pulled away from contact to breath and only then, it was just enough to get him past immediate suffocation before he was right back at Nevayah, kissing her more powerfully than he had in what seemed like forever. She pushed back with equal strength, if not a little bit more, pushing his head in closer as he did with hers, pressing their lips together in their hardest contact to date, all the while their fingers clenching at each-other's hair. He wished time would stop for them... Just... the whole world would simply stop for a moment and let this exist for longer than it should... Some being up there should see that such a beautiful moment like this shouldn't end! The kissing should never stop, the love should never end... the contact should never cease....

Tears flowed down Lanister's eyes as the emotions they shared and amplified began to do it's work on him, tearing down whatever small walls of stability he still had up. It was all simply too much, never having bonded with his love in this way for at least several decades... But tears wouldn't stop him, not matter how much they flowed.

Eventually, Nevayah broke their contact, pulling away from their kiss and their blood-bond, futilely attempting to brush away the tears pouring down her face. Then... she did something he didn't expect... she started to actually cry, stating that she loved him more than anything in the world, that she would've still been a slave if it weren't for him... Soon after this declaration, she lunged forward, rewrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his shoulder, stating that she loved him... Without a thought, he wrapped his arms around her as well, one gently stroking her hair, the other hugging around her back, pressing her against him, all the while, he kissed her cheek.

"Nevayah..." He whispered, tears still flowing down his face. "I love you more than anything... Without you, I'd be dead in mind, body and soul... you've saved me when you didn't have too... I love you... I love you... I love you..." He whispered those words over and over as he softly kissed her face. After a moment of just holding her, he'd gently take her head in his hands, pulling it gently from it's place in his shoulder and holding it so that she was now facing him once more.

"Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are...?" He whispered before kissing her softly, delicately on the lips once again.

[Blink]

Taken back by his comment on how beautiful she was Nevayah blushed, even going as far as placing a hand on her own cheek to feel the warmth emanating off of it. "Did anyone ever tell you how perfect you are?" she countered before stepping away from him and finishing washing up. After she was done she stepped out of the bath, careful to avoid the sharp edge that had cut her hand before. Now standing on the stone the water dripped from her clean body, so she stood there for a minute just letting the water run down her skin to prevent from getting her clothes too wet. When she felt she had stood long enough she started pulling her new garments on first the top and then the bottoms. Lastly she slid each sandal on one foot after the other before completing her newfound attire. She felt so clean and amazing inside and out she was beaming with happiness, much like she had been all day.

But when she knelt down to grab her bag she flipped open the flap on the top and reached in to pull out a tan leather strap, thin and perfect for binding. Having always kept her hair on the shorter side she hardly ever tied it up, but the heat here almost seemed to call for it. So running her fingers through her damp hair like a comb she brushed it back before tying a not, creating a ponytail at the back of her head. "There... now I am complete" she joked turning back to Lanister. She was pretty sure he had never even seen her with her hair up like this, not once in the 14 years they had been together. "Lets head back to the cellar." Her last statement before picking up the bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Without even waiting for Lanister to lead she pulled open the curtain and stepped out thanking the man at the front on her way out.

The night sky had already begun and the temperature was already dropping quickly. Unlike throughout the day Nevayah almost missed the sun bearing down on her skin. Now, still partially wet goosebumps formed, almost chilly to the point of discomfort. "I forgot how cold it got at night.. and how quickly." Wrapping her hands over her arms she tried to keep in as much warmth as possible as she walked in the direction of the cellar, ready to be in the warmth as soon as they got a fire started.

It took a few minutes to arrive at the cellar, but when they did Nevayah was quick to open the hatch and climb down and within seconds had some flint and steel in her hands to spark a flame. It took a few tries but finally she was able to get a fire going and she happily sat in front of it with her arms extended and palms facing the flame, warming herself the second best way she knew how (Lanister clearly being the best option).

[Salzem]

Lanister only snickered as Nevayah blushed so RED at his comment, meekly trying to counter it with her own. "You're so CUTE!" he laughed, shaking his head with glee as his wife slipped away from him once more to actually begin her washing. Upon watching her go about it herself, he decided he might as well too... Soaking simply wouldn't do and they won't have many more opportunities like this to bathe in distinct luxury. And so, he dunked his head under the warm water, beginning his bath for real.

Nevayah finished her bathing experience first, climbing out of the bath and carefully avoiding the sharp edge of rock that made their first bonding in forever possible. He couldn't help but playfully ogle his partner as she stood there before him, bare and naked, drip-drying in the hottest possible way... If he didn't know better, he would've thought she was doing it on purpose to taunt him again. He smiled widely at her every last second she just stood there, finishing up his own bath and stepping out himself, placing the smallest kiss on her lips before allowing himself to drip-dry for her just as she had for him. Why? Because towels never allowed one to get a good look at their partner like this... After a bit, They both began getting dressed, slipping their dryer clothing over their wet-ish forms, the cloth and fabric of Lanister's clothing clinging to him even more than before, just about so skin tight, he might as well NOT be wearing his shirt. When he looked back at his wife, he saw that she had put her hair up in a poney-tail for the FIRST TIME in their 14 years together... Before, she wore her hair down, easily making it his favorite hairstyle by her just wearing it but now... It never ceased to amaze him how utterly and completely HOT Nevayah managed to make herself...

"Oh, my gods, Nevayah... You just HAVE to wear your hair like that more often..." He whispered to her before they stepped out into the evening darkness, their bodies almost immediately seized by the icy hand of dark. He couldn't help but snicker as she commented how she had forgotten how cold it got at night before letting out a shiver as a chilling breeze washed over him. The warmth of the bath did help, raising is outer-skin temperature a bit, ENOUGH he was confident in that Nevayah could make better use of his jacket than he. Rolling his eyes, fully aware that he was reliving the past, the young-looking tainted undid his jacket that was tied around his waist and draped it over her shoulders AND, JUST LIKE BACK THEN, he immediately regretted it, somehow feeling even colder seeing Nevayah all snug in his jacket.

Luckily, it wasn't that long of a walk to their little cellar, Nevayah quickly flipping open the hatch and slipping inside with Lanister not far behind.  By the time he had tracked her down, she had already started a fire in their little fire-pit, huddling up to it as close as she could in some effort to absorb it's warmth... Thinking fast, Lanister slipped behind her and, suddenly wrapped his arms around her torso, gently placing his cheek on her shoulder, absorbing her heat and giving his while she was bathed in the fire's glow, warming them both.

-X- (A few day's timeskip)

Emia and Izayah had been on their way to Eyssern since these merchants had picked them up, long time business associates and friends of their parents so they knew who to trust. They had been on the road now for at least two days and she couldn't complain... The people there treated them well, fed them a good food, had a nice place to sleep each night and, they were going to a new place! Eyssern! She had heard stories of the.... uh... unique fashion statements and alchemical agents there... OOOOOH She just couldn't wait! Between all that and spending time with her parents.... She had to wonder if this caravan was going slow on purpose.

"Hey, Izayah." She poked her brother, smiling playfully. "Are we there yet?" It was a game she had picked up and never let down when they were traveling, just mindless jabs at each-other until the other gave in... It was fun and a harmless way to pass the time, though the people up front who could hear them wouldn't agree... It seemed that they were letting them have their fun this time though... Emia poked her brother again. "Are we there yet?"

[Blink]

Izayah was surprised to say the least when a member of the caravan showed up at Emria's where the two Tainted children were staying. They had no idea that their parent's would be inviting them on their trip and were so excited to be joining them. Izayah had always known that his parents met in Essyrn, but nothing else. He knew it was hot, and the nights were cold but only from books he had read about the city-state along with some of its history. As he sat on the back of one of the carts next to his sister he kept reciting some of the knowledge he had picked up thinking it would prepare him to enter the unfamiliar city. His concentration though was broken when his sister poked him asking him if they were there yet.

She always used to do this when they were younger... a game if you will. Before he could respond with the same question she asked again, poking him in the same spot as before. Rubbing his shoulder he giggled at his sister's playfullness and finally was able to counter with the question himself. "I don't know Emia... are we there yet?" He raised a brow at her before sticking his tongue out at her. He was happy they were riding on the cart, his parent's horses would have made for a sore bottom after a few days. But then he was practically knocked off when the cart hit a bump causing one of the wheels to break. A murmur could be heard traveling among the merchants, each of them speaking low and quietly to the other... something was not right.

Standing up on the cart he tried to get a better vantage point to their surroundins but yet all he could see was  sand... sand... and more sand. But then something caught his eye just at the top of a dune... a glimmer from... metal? Apparently one of the merchants saw it as well as they all began to yell. "Slavers!" One man yelled from his horse before kicking its sides and taking off only to be intercepted by a group on strange looking lizards. Izayah jumped down from the cart, grabbing his sister's arm and dragging her off of it whether she wanted to or not. "We have to hide!" he yelled pulling her underneath the cart with him. He would always try to protect her, it was his duty as her brother to do so. So now under the cart Izayah watched as much as he could as shuffled footsteps seemed to surround them. He could see sandaled feet dragging some of the merchants off a bit and lining them up about ten feet away. Then he heard it.. the sound of chains and could see these people placing shackles around the wrist's of his families friends.

Part of him wanted to cry, another part wanted to get up and fight... neither of which he did. Instead he looked to Emia with concern and then back to the feet he was studying before. It was almost silent now, only the sound of crying from the merchants they had trapped. Then, a man seemed to speak up over the rest, barking orders as he walked down the line. "Slave.... slave.... slave...." the man paused and Izayah thought he may have been examining one of the merchants. "...warrior..." after he gave the merchant a title a few others came and dragged him away. "... slave... slave..." it was like he was labeling each merchant. He knew they were going to be caught, he had accepted that by now. So he looked to his sister with deep concern in his eyes. "Remember what mom and dad always told us. Don't let them know what we are... don't let them know what our blood can do. If we do... we will never see the light of day again." Every word a whisper and a warning to his dearest sister Emia.

It was true, his parent's had always told them not to tell others what they were. Only Emria knew, and that was because they trusted her. A few more moments passed before Izayah closed his eyes, hearing one of the slaver's whisper near the cart.. they had been detected. First it was him, he felt the hands of another grasp his ankles and pull him from under the cart. Even though he knew it was futile he grasped at the sand trying to keep himself from being pulled, only to leave a line of finger marks in his wake. "Emia! Don't forget!" He screamed as he suddenly felt at least two other sets of hands on him. As soon as he was cleared of the cart he was pulled into a standing position and shoved towards the lineup of others, forced to his knees and shackles placed on each hand. The man who had been labeling each of the merchants then walked up to him placing a hand under his chin. Izayah pulled his head away while glaring at the man with pure hatred. ".... warrior...." he declared before walking away. Then just as he had been drug from underneath the cart he was drug to another line, not really even given a chance to completely still stand up.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened to Emia until he heard the man say warrior once more. Maybe it was because they were young? Maybe because they both had been training for years and so they had more defined muscles than most children their age? His internal questions quickly answered as the man who seemed to be leading this whole raid spoke to another once more. "Those two..." he pointed at Emia and Izayah. "... young and full of fight! Send them to the camp!" Then once more Izayah was being drug, but this time he was thrown into a cage being pulled by yet again another strange looking lizard. He didn't really have much to say, he was too busy already trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. At least one thing was good... and that was they were headed to the same city their parent's were in.

By some stroke of luck Emia was thrown into the same cage as Izayah and he immediately began running his plan by her in a soft voice so the others could not hear. "From what I gather we are being sent to a training camp. I have read about Essyrn and the Colosseum, it is their pride and joy. If we do well at the camp our names will be circulated everywhere. I am sure our parents will find us!" He was trying to remain positive for Emia's sake. But truth be told Izayah was concerned for not only his future, but the future of his sister as well. His conversation with his sister was broken when another slaver approached their cage as it was carried by the large lizard, this man also on the back of one of these lizards. "You two... are you siblings?" Izayah refused to answer but instead turned his head away. "Ah... so you are. Twins maybe even? You both look different but remarkably the same." Izayah simply grew more agitated at the mans probing only to confirm this accusation as well.

"Hey guys!" the man shouted to the other slavers on lizard-back. "Twins!" The man was laughing in a creepy way, one that shook Izayah to his core. But then the man that seemed to be leading the group pulled back to walk on the other side of the cage as it was carried. "The crowd will eat them up! What should we call them?" The leader looked to the other slaver who was talking to Izayah first. "How about..." the other slaver paused as he contemplated what to call them only to come up with the simplest of names for the duo. ".. How about we just call them The Twins?" Izayah finally broke the his silence, an idea popping into his head he could not deny. "The Blood Twins... since we are related." The slavers seemed to like this and so the name stuck. Deep down though Izayah was happy it did, knowing full well the moment his parents heard that they would know it was their children fighting in the arena.

[Salzem]

Emia only laughed as her brother reciprocated her joke, happy that this time he was playing along. She snickered as he brother stuck out his tongue at her, gently shoving him before gently wrapping her arms around her twin and holding him close in the first time in forever. She couldn't remember the last time she held her sibling... Ever since they found out what their blood did to people, Izayah had been rather distant and even when he wasn't, they had never been quite as close as before... She had tried countless times in the past... but her attempts ended up failing one way or another. That never stopped her from trying though. She held her brother tightly, gently resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Love you bro... You know that?" She asked before pulling away, gently patting his shoulder where her chin once rested. Somehow... she had a feeling that things were not going to go right today, despite her hopes for the contrary. Suddenly, their cart stuck something, causing their ride to end ever-so abruptly. Emia looked at her twin, confused, the two sharing a glance before Izayah stood up from his place on the cart to get a better look.... and then she heard it... Slavers...

She didn't resist in the least when Izayah grabbed her arm, hissing that they needed to hide. In fact, she was the first person off the cart, slipping underneath it with their faces in the sand, only able to listen as their parent's friends were either killed... or lined up. She watched the feet of a few unknown men scuffle right beside the cart, one being shoved off out of site while the other followed, the only voices being that of "Slave.... Slave.... Slave..." The girl's sanguine eyes went wide with fear instinctively reaching out for her twin's hand as if holding it would make everything okay... And then... Izayah looked at her, his face firm, strong, just like the warrior he always wanted to be. He whispered to her that they can't let them know what they are, what their blood could do... or it was all over... Emia nodded as best she could in the cramped space, letting him know that she understood. She hadn't forgotten... Their father had made it EXPLICITLY clear not to let this information slide, lest their whole lives come crashing down around them... Sometimes, she couldn't help but think her father had been a little paranoid about all of this, that maybe e was taking it all WAY too seriously... How wrong she was...

Suddenly, without warning, something grabbed Emia's and Izayah's ankles, dragging them out from their hiding-place, the young girl struggling and fighting against the grip of one, only to be seized by another. Her brother yelled to not tell them anything, but Emia didn't respond, too busy trying to rip her way through the entangling arms of the slavers that had nabbed her, all to no avail. Without any consideration, Izayah and Emia were shoved into line and forced on their knees with shackles on their wrists, staring up at what seemed to be the lead bandit as he came down the line.

"Slave... Slave...." He stopped in front of her brother, looking down at him, almost intrigued. ".....Warrior..." And he moved on. What did warrior mean? Were they going somewhere...? She had heard Eyssrn ad an arena or something, but she didn't know that THIS was how they got their combatants! The massive bandit stopped in front of her now, his face contorting into an expression that would've made the girl cringe... if her face wasn't already contorted with rage. If she could, she would've gouged this man out with her fingers and then do the same to all his little buddies.... if only she could get free! The man seemed to notice this and smiled, his grin wide and toothy.

"...Warrior." And he went on. After everyone had been designated either Slave or warrior, the lead bandit stood before them all, looking over each and every one of them, his gaze halting on both Emia and her brother. Declaring that they were full of fight, the lead bandit declared that they would be "taken to training".... whatever that meant... Emia, not for a second, did she show fear, glaring at each of her captors as they approached, resisting as much as she could with bound hands before being tossed in a cage being towed by a massive desert reptile, staring at her twin as he experienced the same...

By luck or by some small mercy of the brigands, Emia and Izayah were hauled into the same cage, her brother immediately starting to relay a plan he thought up, probably in some attempt to keep their spirits high. NOW wasn't the time for high spirits! They needed a real plan to get out of here or they'll never see mom and dad again! Izayah's plan was that they needed to make it through whatever "training camp" was and get to Eyssern's Colosseum, where their names will be spread far and wide. If that happens, their parents would come get them!

"But what if they decide we don't make the cut...?" He whispered back, fustratedly tugging at her bindings as they stressed her limbs. "What if Mom and Dad don't hear about us...? We have to get out of here now!" Before they could continue any further, they were approached by another bandit on a desert-reptile-mount, asking if the two were siblings. Of course, neither of them said anything, glaring at the man with a chilling hostility. Of course, this only seemed to confirm his suspicions, also observing that they were also twins with how similar they appeared... The bandit began laughing his head off, seeming amused by this fact, Emia sharing a glance with her brother that said it all: This guy was dumber than a brick. When the slaver and another began wondering what to call them, Izayah, as brave as ever, said they should be known as the Blood Twins, claiming it was because of their relationship as siblings, but she knew better.... Crafty little Izayah was sending a signal to mom and dad with that name! The moment it reached their ears, they'd be able to tell that this name identified them and they'd be saved... If she had her arms free, she would have embraced her brother, so instead, she curled up against him as night fell over the area... It got cold in the desert as the moon rose and they'd need every bit of warmth between them to survive the night...

[Blink]

The ride on the cage was a bumpy one, barely allowing for any kind of sleep to fall over him. Izayah and his sister had been stuck in the cage drug by a lizard for what seemed like hours, the night having already fallen and the moon high in the sky. With his sister curled up against him it helped, the two children sharing each others warmth. But then, the half asleep state he had been in was interupted by the cage suddenly becoming still, and when Izayah opened his eyes he noticed they were already at the gates of the city. Nudging his sister awake should she have fallen asleep he sat up straighter, trying to listen to what the slavers were telling the men at the gate. It was something along the lines of entering the city with new merchandise, and then the slaver slipped the guard what looked like money. Immediately at the sight Izayah knew any plea stating they were free citizens was a waste... these guards were dirty.

After all the formalities at the gate the cage started to move once more, the crooked wheels beneath it causing for yet more time to be spent in an unsteady prison. He was quite surprised how busy the city was, even at night time. Tons of people walking about, half of them exposed in a way he had never dreamt possible. He couldn't help but blush and turn his head down as he saw a woman's breast peak through a cloak. If this was how it was at night he was almost afraid to see what it would be like during the day when it wasn't so cold. Another thing he noticed were all of the slaves about. Each of them easy to distinguish from the free folk with their heads turned down and shackles on their ankles. He was almost upset he was not just dubbed a plain slave, being able to walk freely through the city he would have found his parents in no time. But with as many people as he saw not a single face looked familiar.

They were led through the city for what seemed like another hour at most before arriving at yet another set of gates, a smaller set within the city. Beyond them is what seemed to be an encampment of sorts. "This must be the training camp" he whispered to his sister before going back to study all of his surroundings, something he may need to remember should they by chance escape. Once inside the entryway the gates closed once more, trapping them inside. Almost immediately a handful of slavers approached the cage, opening the latch and pulling each of them out. From there the fight was on again as Izayah tugged and pulled in an attempt to make it as inconvenient as possible to handle him. "We have ourselves a lively one here!" one of the slavers yelled as he laughed at Izayah's attempt. But then the group separated as a man made his way through what looked like the center of a practice ring towards them. Now looking up Izayah could see a set of chairs stationed up higher than the ring, no doubt so the master slaver could watch his possessions train.

This man though, looked eerily familiar to him as he approached, but yet Izayah was sure he had never met him before. He was shorter than most men, also older... fatter. Narrowing his eyes Izayah tried to piece it together, and it seemed as the man approached his new 'livestock' his eyes scanned past all of them as well. "Take them to the cages. We shall see what they are made of at first light!" The fat man yelled before turning around and waddling back off to wherever it was he came from. Izayah and Emia then were once again manhandled as they were drug towards the line of cages, each one containing another 'warrior'. This was when Izayah realized something he had been fearing... in each cage their was only one occupant.

Then without warning the slaver's starting tapering off, taking one of the captors with them and it didn't take long for the slaver holding Izayah's arm to do the same, pulling him from the line his sister was still in. He tried to fight, but with his arms restrained and no weapon there really wasn't much he could do. "Emia!" he screemed as he was drug around the corner, the slaver clearly getting annoyed with his resistance. Then the slaver walked up to an empty cage and unlatched the door, opening it and throwing Izayah inside. Each of the cages were about 7 feet tall and 5 ft wide, thankfully made for full grown men. Motioning for Izayah to step towards the side the slaver then unbolted his shackles from outside the cage.

Rubbing his wrists he started to pace in the cage, the sounds of the other captors turning into a blur like crickets at night in the woods. What an awful day this had turned out to be, one for the recordbooks. Izayah had lived a coddled life, never besides when the no faced demon showed up did he have to worry about his future. His parent's had set everything out for him and his sister, their futures a bright path. But now... now all of that was up for debate as the two had landed in what Izayah thought was the worst position possible. After a bit of pacing the boy finally sat down, resting his back against the bars. Maybe it was adrenaline earlier but Izayah was quickly reminded of how cold it was once more, and found himself curling himself up on the ground in the corner of the cage, eventually fading off into another bit of sleep.

[Salzem]

Emia, despite the annoyingly bumpy ride, managed to catch a light rest, her head gently pressed against her brother's chest as he remained ever vigilant. In her sleep, she couldn't help but curl up closer to the nearest source of warmth, Izayah, and remain as close to her as she could get, a small smile curling across her lips.

It took more than a simple nudge (rather, a few), before her twin managed to wake her, Emia letting out a wide-mouthed yawn and frowning grumpily up at Izayah who held her in his arms (as best he could regarding the shackles).

"mmmmm...." She groaned, her eyes unfocused. "Why'd you wake me uuuuuuuuup.....? I has having such a good sleep... I was having this weird dream where we were off in this desert and..." Immediately, her eyes shot open, noticing the bars between her and the surroundings, then the gruff, edgy men around them, guarding their cage, talking to far shiftier men in armor Emia could only assume was guard attire. Immediately springing to her knees, Emia shuffled over to the cage's side nearest to the guards, her face panicked, her voiced filled with fear... The dream..... it was all true....

"HELP!" She cried, desperate to get any kind of attention from the men.... nothing. "HELP!!! PLEASE! ARE YOU DEAF!?" And yet... not even a glance of acknowledgement from those men, sending them on through with little more than the typical "Have a nice stay"s a guard is required to state. Emia fell back on her butt in shock at how little these people cared, as if it were a way of life for them... Anyone in a cage was transported inside, no questions asked!? WHAT KIND OF DUMB PHILOSOPHY WAS THAT!? In her anger, Emia slammed her forehead into one of the bars with a heavy *clang*, the little girl falling on her back, her eyes closed shut as she attempted to block out the pain.

"Oowwwwwwww....." She moaned, pulling her shackled hands up to her forehead in shock and pain, luckily not spilling any blood in her futile attempt at freedom. When she opened her eyes she saw her brother peering out of the bars, his face as red as a beat and growing ever redder. What was he looking.... Emia's face flushed a dark red too as she spotted what exactly he was staring at, a whole hoard of half-naked people walking about like it was a regular afternoon, some with their chests entirely exposed, some in wrappings that left the bare minimum to the imagination. Emia couldn't help but stare down at her feet as they passed through, unable to maintain eye-contact with such a completely skewed people who walked around naked like it was normal.

It was when mentioned a "training camp" did Emia's gaze flick up once more, immediately memorizing EVERYTHING and it's positions for the sole purpose of planning an escape... There was no way they were going to be submissive and allow these charlatans to rule their lives until their parents came for them... Then a disturbing thought floated into her mind: Wh....what if mommy and daddy wanted this to happen... Emia's eyes went wide with shock as if this idea had no right to exist but... with everything happening the way it did... it only made sense...

Her thought process was disrupted when the cage doors opened and their bandit-guards reached inside and began tugging at them both, ripping them out of the cages as if they were nothing but fish.

"LET GO! GO AWAY!" She roared as she resisted with all her might... but to no avail. They were easily man-handled and forced into submission as a rather plump and squat looking man in much fancier attire approached them, looking them over as if they were now parts of his collection. Settling on her brother, he declared that they would be taken to the cages, their worth to be determined at first light... One guard grabbed Izayah while another grabbed Emia, dragging them to opposite sides of the line of cages where many other alleged warriors.

"IZAYAH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, only to be met with a quick smack across the face, the shock of the sudden strike shutting her up right quick. With one powerful shove, Emia was thrown into a much larger cage, easily capable of accommodating a grown man or two. Once she pain had died down, the little brown-haired sanguine-eyed girl gritted her teeth in frustration, the sound of her heaving in some attempt to keep herself restrained almost audible from all the way down to where Izayah was.

"Hey." A voice rang out beside the enraged Emia, her eyes flicking to her right to see that there was a girl in the cage beside her about her age with long dark brown hair tied in in a poney-tail near it's end, yellow eyes that seemed to pierce the darkness like Emia's did and, most notably, she wasn't wearing any kind of clothing to cover her torso, only a thin linen skirt covering her tan form. "Shut up. If you don't, they'll come back... and you don't want that."

Despite her attempt to help, Emia's rage seemed to spike, but she said nothing, instead, letting out a snort of contempt for EVERYTHING EVER and flopping down near the back of her cage, glaring out the front. The girl beside her watched, appearing somewhat intrigued, before she too moved back to the end of her cage.

[Blink]

Despite how much Izayah tried he was never able to fall back to sleep, his mind racing a million miles a minute as he was trying to figure a way out of this mess. Even worse he was separated from his sister, the only sense of familiarity in this place. He was however happy to feel the sun on his skin as it began rising in the sky, bringing warmth along with it. Giving up on any further attempts at sleep he sat back up, his back pressed against the bars of the cage and knees tucked in at his chest. He was trying so hard to be tough for his sister, to show her how strong he could be for them. But now that he was alone all he felt was the pent up fear he had been hiding the entire time.

Izayah had always tried to keep an image about himself that he was strong... fearless...tough. But then all of these walls began to crumble with each passing second and his facade was quickly shattered. Pulling his knees in even tighter Izayah began to break down, tears pooling from his eyes and making there way down his cheeks before dripping down into the dry sand. Biting his tongue his body heaved as the emotions began to pour out. He was so upset with himself for being in this situation, for being so helpless. His 'tough kid' facade now completely gone. None of the slaves in cages around him responded to his crying, all of them probably knowing the same feeling he was harboring right now...defeat.

At this time a slaver began making his rounds along the line of cages and stopped right before Izayah's. "Not so tough now boy!" The slaver shouted, making it a point to let everyone within earshot know how weak Izayah truly was. "Guess we were wrong about you, oh well... you will make for great bait!" The slaver referring to when they throw a weak slave into the Colosseum just to be slaughtered. Now laughing the slaver unlocked Izayah's cage, walking right up to the crying boy and slapping a shackle on one of his ankles. "Come on... lets see how weak you really are." And then the slaver began pulling on the chain, causing Izayah's ankle to shift forwards away from his body.

Happy to at least have his hands free he wiped away at some of the tears, dirt smudging his cheeks from his dirty palms. He didn't have it in him right now to verbally assault the man, but in all honesty had decided from the moment the slaver called him bait that he would prove him wrong. Of course he was upset, but he had to push through... for Emia. Izayah was led to the area he had identified as a training ring the night before, laying in the center of all the cages within view. From here he thought he could make out his sister's cage... and that made him feel a bit better... at least he knew she was alive.

Caught up in looking at the number of cages and their occupants Izayah was surprised when a wooden sword and shield were thrown at him, hitting his chins and bouncing to the ground. "Show us what you have" one of the slavers proclaimed as he attached Izayah's chain to a metal ring secured to the ground. He only had about ten foot or so of chain, just enough to move around the ring but nothing else. Slowly he bent down and picked up the wooden sword and shield, studying the weight of each of them in his hands. Maybe he did have an edge here... the wooden sword almost identical to the one he practiced with at home. Feeling a bit of confidence overtake him he threw the shield to the side... a waste of energy holding it.

The slaver only laughed at him as well as a laugh that came from the tower above where the fat man from the night before now set. Without words the fat man nodded at the slaver who had by now picked up a sword and shield of his own and stepped into the ring. The slaver did not hesitate as he ran at Izayah with full force, wooden sword extended above his head swinging down at the boy. That was the first blow Izayah took, not even moving a muscle to defend himself as the wooden sword smacked him in the temple. Immediately he felt the pain in his head but not once reached up to touch it. The slaver took a step back and looked up to the fat man who nodded once more, and yet again he took an offensive stance and started charging Izayah once more.

This time, unlike the first, Izayah reacted... quickly stepping forwards and swinging with all his might the moment the slaver lifted his arms up for what he thought would be another easy blow. His plan had worked... the slaver taken by suprise when Izayah's wooden sword slammed him in the stomach so hard it knocked the wind out of him. He couldn't help but feel accomplished at what he had just done, but the slaver was only more infuriated. The fight now taking a turn more serious as the slaver threw his wooden sword and shield to the side and picked up a metal one in their place. Izayah however still only had the wooden sword to defend himself with... so dirty. Without waiting for a nod from the fat man the slaver charged Izayah with the real sword in tow, this time swinging the sword back to his side no doubt hoping to hit Izayah in the shoulder with it. Was he really trying to kill him already?

Taking into consideration all of the training his father had passed down since he was old enough to even hold a sword Izayah predicted the movement and dropped to the ground, taking his own wooden sword and swiping it at the slavers feet causing him to fall on his back. "I am nobodies bait" was all Izayah said as he stood back up and threw his sword at the slaver who was still in shock on the ground. It seemed the whole camp had fallen silent to his act, all except the roaring laughter coming from the stand above. "Magnificent! The crowd will eat him up!" The way the fat man laughed causing Izayah to feel sick to his stomach. "Can I go back to my cage now?" His cockiness now in full swing as he eyed another slaver with his question. "Sure thing kid" one of the slavers said as he walked up and unlocked Izayah's chain from the ring on the ground.

The slaver then started leading Izayah back to his cage but not before stopping just outside of the ring and turning around. Then with a swift movement the slaver landed a punch to Izayah's stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he fell to his knees in pain gasping for air. "No one likes a smartass" the slaver proclaimed before signally for more guards to grab the boy and escort him back to his cage. Yes it hurt, but it was worth it if it meant he caused even a second of misery for the slavers. "Bring the girl next!" the fat man yelled from his tower as he ignored what had just happened to the fourteen year old boy. Once back in his cage Izayah pushed through the pain and crawled to the edge of his cage so that he himself could see the training ring. If they thought he was something.. just wait until they met his sister. Of course he had always believed he had a leg up on her when it came to swordplay.. but Emia won hands down everytime in terms of cockiness.

_____________________________

The day had started like any other as Nevayah started getting dressed in the cellar. First slipping on her bottoms and then top before slipping her sandals on followed by tying her hair up to keep it off of her neck. She was actually quite excited to get out, only because her children should have arrived in Essyrn late last night or early this morning depending on the speed of the caravan. "I can't wait to show them everything!" She exclaimed as she reached down to grab her bag, practically jumping at the hopes of leaving soon to get them.

Of course Nevayah loved the fact that Lanister and her had a few days of alone time, but she also loved her children and missed them terribly. "Emia is going to go crazy when we show her the clothes we bought her! Oh and the books! And Izayah is going to want to get a 'real' sword... I just know it." The two parents had always gotten him swords with dull blades but maybe now that they were in Essyrn Nevayah could convince Lanister to finally give in to getting him a real sword.

As soon as Lanister was ready Nevayah was climbing the latter opening the hatch, impatiently waiting for him to follow. The moment he would exit the hole in the ground Nevayah would take off in a hasty walk towards the marketplace, a pep in her step unlike anything she had displayed before. It was almost like she forgot Lanister was even there as she walked, ready to embrace her children with open arms. So far this trip had done wonders for the mother who seemingly found something she felt she had lost a while ago. She was happier now, smiling more... all the worries in her life having been washed away in the Essyrni baths.

The marketplace was quite busy this morning, everyone seeming to be hustling around to get the latest deals. Unfortunately for Nevayah she was shorter than most of the natives and was unable to see past the crowd, her search for the caravan a futile attempt. Running up to a set of crates she climbed on top of them, her head now at least two feet above the crowd as she placed a hand on her forehead to block the sun so that she could scan the marketplace once more. "I don't see it!" her voice louder so that Lanister could hear her. "Maybe they got caught up?" She scanned the marketplace once more from her higher view and was still unable to locate it.

Jumping down off of the crates she walked up to Lanister, a confused look on her face. "I don't understand... why aren't they here?" As if Lanister had the answers to all of her questions. "Should we go get breakfast and come back?" Her attention now fully on her husband as she tried to battle the bad scenarios that were bouncing around in her mind. This was something she had been trying to work on. For as long as she could remember she always thought of the worse case scenario, and most of the time it was her making the situation worse... like when she almost took the fat man up on his offer to leave her family. "Or we could stick around here and do some more shopping?"

[Salzem]

Relatively alone in the darkness of night, wasn't fearful at all... No... she was outraged, ENRAGED! If she could make her anger manifest, it would burn everything here to SLAG and she'd do it with a smile on her face. HOW DARE THEY lock them up like animals!? How could they do this to people!? RRRRRG! THEY MADE HER SO MAD! in her hands, the air began to glow as her natural magical talent began to show, small flames flickering in her palms, hidden from those outside as they harassed her brother. Emia glared out at the bandits as they forced Izayah out of his cage and into the ring and they smirked at her. Unexpectedly to them, she smirked back, knowing full well of her brother's fighting capabilities... He was going to feed them their hubris with a side of PAIN! And he did... Despite him being chained by the neck, he managed to get an upper hand on the bandit scum, dropping him with a wooden blade to the gut... before the man pulled a real weapon and he STILL WON! What chumps these guys were! If they couldn't even beat Izayah, what did they expect when they called HER out?

And then... as if my the god of karma itself... they did. Unlocking her cage door, 2 of their rugged captors dragged Emia out of her confinement, dragging her before the arena and having the same collar tied to her throat. there, on the ground in front of her though, was more than a simple sword and plank-sheild... There were sticks, a wooden axe, but what really caught her eye was a much larger wooden sword, made for two hands... Emia smiled devilishly picking up the blade and testing it's weight by holding it over her head. Yes, it was a heavier weapon... but it was PERFECT for the pain she was about to unleash on these slaver trash! Emia rested the wooden sword on her shoulder as she waited for her opponent to step into the ring, but to her surprise and disappointment... no slaver stepped forward. No... Instead, the slavers that dragged her out returned to the cages and brought someone else out... the girl that had told her to shut up earlier that night... The tan-skinned girl looked resigned, as if she had to do this a hundred times before... Without a word, the girl scooped up a large blade akin to Emia's and stepped over to the other end of the ring, a collar placed on her as well, tying her to the post.

"WELL!" The Fat man stated, looking down over the both of them. "Since your brother did so well, lets see how you fare against our little champion!"

"Champion...?" Emia mumbled questioningly, her eyes catching the girl's movement across the arena JUST in time. With a yelp, the girl managed to raise her blade just enough to parry her opponent's downward strike, pushing her blade to the side, intimidated by it's power. If she had been struck with that, something might have cracked, most likely a bone... The yellow-eyed girl quickly and deftly played off her swing, using her momentum to deliver a quick kick to Emia's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing the sanguine-eyed girl to retreat a ways. The two stared each-other down for a second or two, blades raised in an offensive stance before the two were at it again,  trading blows, blocking, parrying or dodging each-other's strikes, almost on equal footing.... almost. As the fight dragged out it became more and more evident that Emia wasn't as accustomed to wielding such a large and heavy weapon as the tanner girl was, Emia's guard dropping just a little bit more than her opponents. Still, the fight wore on regardless, the young tainted blood determined to show that she WASN'T GOING TO LOSE!

But raw determination was no match for skill as in a blade-lock where strength and stamina were crucial, the sanguine-eyed girl just didn't have enough of either to maintain their clash. Emia was shoved on her back as her strength failed her, her weapon being knocked just out of reach and soon found the yellow-eyed girl with one knee on either side of her, sitting on her stomach with her blade raised over her head, the point aimed at her forehead. Acting fast, knowing she was going to have to do something... dirty, before the girl could bring her weapon down, the young tainted jerked up and planted her lips on the other girl's, her eyes shut tight with embarrassment as she forced a kiss on her opponent. A silent hush fell over the arena as the bandits looked at each-other in surprise, the yellow-eyed girl's eyes shooting wide with shock as she stumbled back, spitting and gagging as if Emia had been choking her just now, her face growing ever redder with each passing moment. Free from that confining position, the tainted-blood reached for her sword, got to her feet and, with one swing, disarmed the girl, knocking her weapon out of the arena. Stunned with shock, the yellow-eyed girl couldn't stop Emia as she slammed her knee into her stomach, forcing her down to the ground gagging some more before she found the edge of the wooden sword to her throat with Emia on top.

"EXCELLENT!" The fat-man declared, Emia's state of adrenaline and anger broken by the sound of his voice. Only now did she start to feel shame at the act she had committed to win, her face flushing just as red as the other girl's as they stared at each-other dumbly. "She might do even better than her brother! As of now, that girl is the new champion!" That title meant nothing to her, especially in her shocked and flustered state. Neither the girl nor Emia moved when the guards came to escort them back to the cages, too shocked to do anything on their own. Acting with a gentler hand than before, the bandits tugged the tainted into her cage rather than tossing her, but this time, shoving the other girl in with her too!

"Maybe you two love-birds can have some FUN tonight, huh...?" He mocked, the two girl's faces flushing ever darker-a-red, covering their faces with embarrassment.... Emia was starting to hate herself now... Mommy... daddy... Where are you...?

________________________________________________________________

Lanister started off the day as-per the usual, getting out of bed, kissing his wife, getting dressed, kissing his wife... it was a very complex routine, actually. Even though he had agreed to let his kids come here to experience the desert, Lanister couldn't help but maintain his uneasy feeling regarding them being here at all. While Nevayah was excited to show them around, Lanister would've been more content to treat this more of a camping-trip of sorts, showing them the cellar and MAYBE a little bit of the city around the mornings or evenings. The last thing he wanted as them to lose their kids here... If they did.... well.... the cartographers would have to redraw the maps.

This is not to say he didn't miss his children, in fact, he missed them terribly. It was like there were two holes in his heart where they once were and would be nothing but smiles when they arrived. Nervous, anxious, protective smiles, but smiles nonetheless. He couldn't help but laugh though as Nevayah was clucking about how she was so excited to see how their daughter would react to her new outfit, how Izayah would want a real edged blade instead of the duller practice weapons they had been offering thus far.

"Now, now, Nevayah... calm down! We don't want to scare them with your enthusiasm." He snickered, following his wife out of their little hole-in-the-ground before making their way into the market-place, Lanister finding it difficult to match her speed without breaking into jog. In fact, the market was quite busy today, easy for any one person to disappear among the sea of bodies and chains. He still looked upon this sight as something to disdain, to disapprove of... The only reason he isn't feeling any stronger about it is because he KNOWS he can't do anything to change any of it... He couldn't free these slaves... he didn't have the luxury to even try anymore because now he had something to lose... Several somethings. All he could do now was frown upon this city the way a disapproving father might, knowing that it would never change. Nevayah, she who probably sustained the worst punishment out of the both of them, may have managed to convince herself that this was some fun little trip.... but Lanister didn't. This was a risk beyond anything he had ever gambled before and he HAD experience... He only hoped they won...

Lanister's heart froze in his chest when they couldn't spot his kids amid the crowd, Nevayah suggesting that they had been "caught up." How could she be so causal about this!? If their kids were lost here, what did she think would happen to them, be sent to an orphanage or something!? THERE IS no orphanage here, only slavery! If they couldn't find their kids.....

"Breakfast...? Shopping...?" How can you think about that at a time like this?" Lanister asked, running his fingers through his hair anxiously. "Our kids are out there in Eyssrn! We don't have time for breakfast!"

[Blink]

From his cage he watched Emia face a different challenge than he did.  Maybe it was because she was a girl but no slaver stood up against her, instead they sent out their current 'champion'. He watched as Emia picked up a longer wooden sword to fight with, one that would no doubt tire her out. Izayah was almost disappointed his sister wanted to show boat this much. The swords they practiced with at home were much smaller... lighter. Her muscles were not trained for such heavy equipment and he could tell. He watched as Emia matched this girl step for step until she was knocked back, the sword fumbling to the ground. Izayah felt he should turn his head... not watch the inevidible beating that was about to come down on his sister, but he just couldn't turn his head away.

And then he wished he had as he watched his sister suprise her opponent by planting a kiss on her lips. "What in the-" he whispered to himself as he scooted closer to the edge of the cage, his hands now wrapped around the bars as he tried to pull himself even closer to assure he wasn't just seeing things. But he wasn't... there was his sister locking lips with another. His confused face though quickly turned to a smirk as he saw what his sister's true plan was. She had taken the other by suprise and managed to get back on her feet, ending the match with her holding her too large wooden sword to the girl. "Yes!" he screamed, almost too loudly. But he was indeed proud of his sister and what she had just accomplished. Just like him she had shown them what they were made of.

Izayah was perfectly fine with his sister's new title.. this meant more recognition for them in the public. After the adrenaline of the morning passed and the sun rose in the sky Izayah felt its heat in full force. In his usual pants and tunic the heat was almost too unbearable, he would surely be dead if the cages didn't have a straw like mat covering the top of each of them. The boy though pushed through his agony as he watched other competitors practice in the ring, each match a valuable bit of information should he and his sister have to face them in a real fight. As the hours passed his eyes never averted from the trials taking place in font of him despite how much he wanted to crawl into the coolest corner of his cage and just sleep.

But then his agony was broken when a slaver came and started collecting all of the new 'recruits' brought in from the night before. This time with wrist shackles in tow. Izayah didn't have the energy to fight them this time, so instead he held his arms out to be confined and then was placed in line behind the others... except he noticed it was only the males. Turning his attention over his shoulder he saw another slaver doing the exact same thing, except with the females. His wrists were quickly jerked forwards before he could put anymore thought into it as the line started moving towards a stone building within the encampment. Izayah was relieved when the line led inside, the stone a few degrees cooler inside. Once inside a slaver shut the door behind them, his last sight being the females led into another building like this.

Inside the stone structure the walls were lined with all sorts of fabrics, some more Extravagant than the others. There was also armor... so many different types of armor.  "Remove your clothing and you will be rewarded with something more acclimated to our climate." One of the slavers spoke uniformly as if he had done this a thousand times before. "We can't have our merchandise dying of heat stroke." Some of the other slaves seemed to comply, slipping their clothes off and throwing them into a pile in the corner, and so Izayah followed first with his boots, then pants and last was his tunic. He felt embarrassed as he looked at the bodies of the other men, all of them older than him, some only a few years while others decades beyond his age.

After a few moments slavers began handing out scraps of clothing, if that was what you would call it. Izayah was handed what looked like just a bolt of fabric, but was quickly educated when he saw one of the slaves start to rap it around their waste. Izayah followed suit, wrapping the fabric around his small frame and tucking it in at the side so that it was securely held in place. This type of clothing was not customary for him, it was very foreign... but welcomed. He could see why the locals wore clothing similair to this, so much cooler. When everyone was 'dressed' they were led back outside into the awful sun and each one escorted back to their cage.

"Tomorrow's lineup!" The Fat Man's voice echoing from his shaded tower. Izayah listened as he shouted off a list of names and the event's they would be placed in. The fat man went on for about five minutes before wrapping up his speech. "... And last but not least our new champion and her brother. The Blood Twins!" That was all Izayah heard, stupidly not paying attention to who they would be facing. He was more excited with the fact they were going into the arena so soon, and by the name he suggested so that his parents would know it was them.

___________________________________________________________

Nevayah felt the fear rising in her stomach as Lanister spoke to her, flinching as he got upset over her proposal of breakfast. "I just... I just wanted to believe nothing bad happened." Her voice tiny compared to his. "What if we are jumping to conclusions!" Turning around she scanned the crowd again hoping that maybe by some stroke of luck she would land her eyes on her children. Unfortunately, that was not the case.. yet again her search futile. "What do we do?" She asked completed lost on where to even start looking for them.

The marketplace soon erupted into a crowd gathering at a pedestal of sorts, one that seemed to take place next to the crated Nevayah had climbed onto only moment before. "Attention my great people!" A tall and well decorated man spoke... an entertainer. "Tomorrows Colosseum match up has just been confirmed!" The people began to clap and cheer as the man went on reading names off of a piece of parchment. "And for your entertainment we have brought a few new faces into the game!" This was what got Nevayah's attention as she turned full circle towards the man was who speaking. "The Blood Twins! Our newest champion among them will be stepping foot into the arena for the first time!"

The mention of the name caused Nevayah's heart to drop. Lanister was right... she was wrong. She should have never brought their children here. This was all her fault and now her poor babies were being sent out to slaughter. From the fear alone Nevayah's body grew pail, the shock of what she had just heard taking its toll. The world around her grew blurred... then without a seconds notice she fainted, falling to the ground like a lifeless hunk of flesh.

[Salzem]

When they came for Emia later that day, she didn't even resist, far too weakened from her own shock and the impossible heat of the desert that she was completely unable to resist being dragged out of her cell by her captors along with the girl she had completely embarrassed to get her win. Together, they were shoved into into the open, their arms clasped in irons before shoving them in a line, of only females... Emia was only slightly relieved to see that the other male slaves were going through the same experience, giving her the idea that they were all going to the same place. 

However, this moment of relief was shattered when one of the bandits approached them, telling them all to strip down to nothing, stating that he would give them something more appropriate for this land, that they couldn't have their prizes dying of heat-stroke. Emia had no choice... For all her bluster and anger, frustration and defiance... she couldn't just say no... The bandit's hand was on the pommel of his blade and, if he wanted, he could cut Emia down the moment she voiced any resistance... his face said as much...

"Just do it..." The tan, yellow eyed-girl advised, her remaining clothes already on the ground by the time Emia had turned to face her. "It's easier if you just obey..."

"Don't tell me what to do..." She grumbled, but she did as she was told regardless... For all it was possibly worth, Emia refused to turn her head in the direction of the males as she dropped her jacket, shirt, boots, then pants on the ground, not even wanting to think that they were looking their way... Every other woman in line abided too, some more around Emia's age, others.... quite a bit older... She felt so out of place, not to mention awkward beyond description, with everyone else all tan, their eyes rather dark, umber or something similar while here she was, pale and with sanguine eyes... Her hair wasn't even the correct shade of brown compared to most of the Essyrnians, most of them having either a darker shade or black all together. Emia made an effort to cover her privates from all, crossing her legs and crossing her arms over her chest to hide her assests. She couldn't help but glance back at the one girl that had talked to her since she arrived and, to her surprise, Emia couldn't detect a single bit of embarrassment from her... This girl stood there, hand on her hip, staring ahead as the bandit walked down their line, handing each of them something of a bikini-like piece of clothing (if that's how one would describe it), her eyes flicking to Emia's the moment she noticed them.

"How're you so casual....?" She whispered, her cheeks still flushed a dark red, trying her damnedest not to look anywhere other than her face. She just shrugged silently in response nodding ahead and gesturing for Emia to stand at attention... The bandit was coming her way... She took the bikini that she was offered, grateful for any kind of covering at all, especially since it got them out of that dreadful afternoon heat. With something covering her body, Emia glanced over at the males, catching her brother just about as exposed as she was, except with only a cloth wrapping around his waste...

"You look good." The girl behind her stated a-matter-of-factly, her lips spread into the smallest of smiles. Emia stared at her with a mix of both annoyance and embarrassment.

"What do I even call you?" Emia asked, not even bothering to acknowledge that statement. The girl's smile only widened, but only a tiny bit.

"Umbra."

Not a second later, the bandit who had rounded them all up herded them all back into their cells, each slave dressed for the occasion. As the Fat man exclaimed the names of all the different prisoners and the events they would be placed in, Emia couldn't help but take a small measure of relief in the fact that Umbra's name hadn't been called.... She couldn't find a REASONABLE explanation as to way... She was blunt, annoying, obviously not perceptive to embarrassment... but she was the only one willing to talk to her... to make her stay any easier, especially her isolation from her brother...

Just as she thought their names wouldn't be called, The fat man declared their stage name, the Blood twins, sealing their fate behind the arena gates... While Izayah was feeling relief, confidence even, Emia was feeling anxiety... Now that they were going to be participating in the blood-sport... the people wouldn't want them to go... How would mommy and daddy save them... if the people wouldn't let them...?

"Emia..." The tainted blood muttered, glancing over at her cellmate, tossed in their with her because of that little kiss she had forced on her to win.

"Huh?" Umbra asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"My name..."

"Oh." She pursed her lips, thinking, before smiling, her grin a little softer. "I like it... nice name..."

_________________________________________________________________

"In this place, you should be worried about not jumping to conclusions..." Lanister countered, peering into the crowd with with his wife for some indication that he was wrong... to no avail. There was nothing but faceless people he didn't recognize. No... this only strengthened his resolve to find his kids... He wasn't going to just break down, cry or ANYTHING like that... He needed to find his children and then they were going to disappear and NEVER return! And if they're lucky, Eyssrn will fall down around them so NO ONE will EVER have to experience this slave-hub again...

"I don't know, I don't know..." Lanister conceded, gently stroking Nevayah's hair in an effort to soothe her. "We'll find them, though... I promise..." As if their wish was granted by a sick and twisted djinn, an announcer stood above the crowd and began stating all the Arena matches that were going to take place and the last of them.... Was the "Blood-Twins"... Lanister's face went white as his wife's did, suddenly recoiling backwards as if he were struck in the heart with an arrow. Emia....? Izayah...? In the ARENA!? Noticing Nevayah's legs give out from under her, Lanister immediately broke free of his shock and caught his wife before she hit the ground, cradling her in his arms as tears of... many MANY different emotions flowed down his face...

"I'll get them....." He whispered, softly kissing Nevayah's slips as he gently carried her back in the direction of the cellar. "I'll get them..."

By the time Nevayah awoke from her fainting, she would have found herself in the sheetless bed in their haven, a small note pinned to the nearby barrel by a knife, written in Lanister's hand writing

I'm going to go get some things, then we're going to get our kids back. Pack as much food and water as you can carry comfortably because... when we have them, we aren't coming back.

-Lanister.

[Blink]

Nevayah awoke to an empty cellar, a note pinned to a barrel written by Lanister himself. Scooting herself over on the sheetless mattress she read the note to herself before nodding in confirmation. Quickly standing up she got her bearings, her head still a little fuzzy from the shock along with other things and grabbed the note, scribbling her own little words onto it as well.

I have a plan... meet me in the marketplace.

Her only words before hurrying out on her own to do some detective work only grabbing her bag and whatever she could stuff into it that they would need. Nevayah did have a plan indeed... she was going to tell the owner of her children what she was so that they would take her in, from there she would improvise. Nevayah would have been the perfect asset to a slave owner with assets such as gladiators, able to heal them with her own blood. In what would normally take about half an hour only took the mother fifteen or so minutes to achieve as she finally arrived at the marketplace, her pace much quicker today. She immediately got to work, asking around about the 'Blood Twins' that were tomorrows main event.

To her suprise many of the merchants in the market had already gotten the full scoop on them and placed their bets. She recalled a conversation with one merchant in particular. "They are a young set... brother and sister. Brought in by a raided caravan. The girl has been deemed the new champion from a match at the training camp." Of course her little Emia would be, her ferocity inherited from her parents ten fold. Nevayah countered with another question. "Where is the camp? Who bought them?"

The merchant then said a single name that caused a whirlwind of emotions to erupt within her.
"Kain... the camp is at the edge of the marketplace over there..." The merchant paused to point in a general direction. "... you've probably walked past the gates several times not knowing what it was."
Of course it was him! She should have known he lied to her months ago when he passed through La'Marri. He had told her he was out of the slave business and needed her to help keep his merchandise strong. Of course he wasn't buying slaves for personal use... but for fighting. It was the perfect fit on why he needed her. She was so glad in that moment that Lanister had talked her out of going with him. Thanking the merchant Nevayah had moved on to another group, one that she had ties with from her old caravan. This group passed through La'Marri about every other month of so, and not very often did Nevayah sell her goods to them... but at least she knew them.

Setting up a plan to have two horses outside of the city with plenty of supplies to get them back to La'Marri comfortably Nevayah handed the last bit of money she had on her person to the merchant. That was the glory of Essyrn... most everything was business. As long as you handed someone enough money there were no questions asked. Nodding in recognition of their agreement Nevayah turned on her foot towards the direction of the slave camp she was told he ran. Thankfully Lanister had just found her, his eyes searching for her in the crowd. Immediately she walked up to him, already spitting her plan out at him as he approached.

"I have set up for two horses to be sitting outside the city with plenty of supplies to get us home. I have a plan... " she paused knowing full well that Lanister would not like it, or the bit of information she was about to give him. "I found out who bought them Lanister... It was Kain." Averting her eyes for a second she was trying to avoid the 'I told you so' glares she should have received from him. He was right all those months ago... that men like that don't just change. "I'm going to the camp to offer myself to him. I think he will still accept the terms of our agreement. I don't think he knows who Emia and Izayah are... if he did he wouldn't be putting them in an arena tomorrow to fight to the death." Stopping once more but this time to take a breath Nevayah began rambling on again as soon as she was able to breathe. "Once I am inside I will find a way for you to get in. Wait for a signal as soon as the sun completely sets in the sky. It will be easier to escape in the dead of night." Of course her entire plan was based on the assumption that the fat man would let her roam the camp freely. There was no reason for him not to, she would be showing up of her own free will.

"Tonight we kill him... he went too far this time." With a look of vengeance in her eyes Nevayah leaned in to give Lanister would could possibly have been the most passionately filled kiss she ever bestowed upon him. "I love you... and I love our family." Then she was gone... having taken off in a sprint towards the camp. She only had a few hours to figure everything out before the sun was gone from the sky and she wasn't going to waste it walking at the speed of the turtle.

Nevayah was practically out of breath when she reached the entrance to the camp, located right where the merchant said it would be. What was sad was that Nevayah and Lanister had indeed walked past it several times, Nevayah never acknowledging it was even here. That was the problem.. the entire time she had been in Essyrn she was stuck in some fantasy that there were no longer dangers here. She chose not to acknowledge the slaves everywhere or the camps they were held in like this one. Maybe if she had she would have seen Kain was running this one... and been on her guard more. But now was no time for pittying her poor decisions... she needed to get into that camp. So standing up straight and taking in a deep breath she began walking towards the gates where two guards were stationed.

"What do you want!" One of the guards shouted at her as she approached, the other placing his hand on the hilt of his sword in case Nevayah was there to attack or something.
"I am here to speak with Kain." Nevayah's voice firm... confident.
"No one gets an audience with the master without an appointment!" The slaver countered, clearly not just letting anyone talk to the fat man.

"Tell him Nevayah is here to see him... he will come." And with that she crossed her arms over her chest to wait. She knew the minute the fat man heard her name he would come running, she was too valuable to pass up. The guard then turned to whisper to one placed on the other side of the gate, and that one went running deeper into the encampment where she couldn't see him. It was about five minutes that passed before she heard the gate opening and saw the fat man strolling out with a big smile on his face and arms open wide as if to embrace her.

"Nevayah! I do hope these buffoons didn't scare you too much!" His voice was jolly, but also laced with a fairness even someone as gullible as her could pick out. "Tell me my dear! Have you reconsidered my offer? I was heartbroken when you never showed up in Connlaoth." Nevayah sidestepped to avoid his hug, having a hard time not reaching out and smacking him silly right there. But she withstood the urge, knowing the fat man would know she had ulterior motives if she did.

"Lanister did not like the plan. I had to leave when he wasn't around or else he would have never let me come. But you have me and I am here to help as long as you keep up your end of the bargain. Papers... for my family to state we are free citizens after my servitude ends. I will be treated with respect.. no chains... and if I disagree with something you will listen." She was making it sound like she actually planned on sticking around for a while, and she was quite proud of how well she was playing it off.

"Of course my dear Nevayah!" The fat man's voice still almost too jolly. "I will hold up my end of the bargain even if you are in Essyrn." The fat man probed at a bit of information she never thought of, as if to warn her he could be dirty if he wanted to be. "I still have your papers and as far as the authorities here would be concerned you are my property. I could have you arrested and shackled right here if I wanted." His voice took a dark twist at the end of the statement, but quickly shifted back to jolly as he continued. "But I would never do that!"

That was what he was doing... warning her. She wasn't leaving now whether she wanted to or not. "Then let's get to work." Her only words before gesturing to the inside of the camp. "I am aware of what you are doing here. You are training slaves for the Colosseum, so no need to try and lie about that again." She let the fat man know with her tone she disapproved, but at this point what option did she have.

"Come! Let me show you around! I have so much for you to do already!" It was funny how overjoyed Kain was that she was there, like he was showing off his trophy case to someone he wanted to impress. What made Nevayah uneasy though was that the moment she stepped inside the camp the gates behind her closed, the guards taking their stations outside of them. As if the fat man picked up on her unease he piped up. "No worries, that is to keep the merchandise in. You can leave anytime you want as long as you clear it with me first." Kain, already laying down ground rules for her to follow. Then it was game on as Kain started introducing her to his slavers, the men who controlled the slaves. "Nevayah is a guest and shall be treated as such. If I hear of any of you treating her indecently you will be the next to fight." His warning towards his slavers a serious one. Now come with me and I will show you some of my prized warriors!"

____________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the day seemed to be passing super slowly as Izayah sat in his cage. At least he wasn't as hot as he was earlier in the day. He knew the clothes were odd... barely anything... but he was still grateful for them. They did however cause him to stand out compared to the other men in the cages surrounding them. Most of them were tan skinned with toned muscles. In fact Izayah felt he may have been the palest one there. Not like he could ask around... the men seemed to keep to themselves once they were in their cages. Some of them paced back and forth.. others jumped up and grasped the bars at the top of the cages and did pull ups, toning their muscles as much as they could. I mean it made sense, the stronger you were the less likely you were to die. Izayah himself was scrawny compared to them, and even he had some muscle from the farm work he did back home.

But then a commotion at the front gates caught his attention. Anything really would have at that moment, the sparring matches having ended hours ago. Turning his head to see the gates far off he saw the guards outside shuffle as if they were speaking to someone, and then he saw one turn and talk to a guard inside. This guard walked towards the tower where the fat man resided and climbed up. Within a matter of minutes both the fat man and the guard descended, except the fat man seemed to almost be skipping towards the gate. "What has him so happy? Izayah asked himself as he continued to watch the scene unfold. The fat man then stepped outside the gate and was out of site for a few minutes. For a second Izayah thought maybe he had left, but then he came back this time with someone right next to him.

Izayah broke down right there at the sight of his mother, tears once again flooding his eyes and streaming down his cheeks. So badly he wanted to shout for her, or better yet get out of this damned cage and run up to her and be comforted by her embrace. He knew Emia would see her to, the women's cages closer to the entrance than his. There was no way she could miss it. Even if his mom looked differently with her hair up and in Essyrni clothing, he was sure it was her. His eyes then began darting around the camp, scanning every inch he could for the hope of finding his father to. Lanister though was nowhere in site.

Feeling the need to cause a scene right there to get her attention Izayah stood up, wiping the tears from his face just as he had that morning. "Yes... cause a scene. Let her know where you are." Izayah's brain already weaving out a plan, he was sure Emia would catch on to. So without any further hesitation Izayah walked over to a metal bucket that had been placed in his cage, one that held his water rations for the day. First he picked it up and took a long drink, knowing that after what he was about to pull he probably would not be given anymore. Then he dumped the remaining water out on the ground with a sinister smile on his face.

Slamming the pail against the metal of his cage the noise was much more than he could have hoped for as it echoed throughout the camp. With each slam of the pail into the bars it seemed another guard would appear, all of them now running towards his cage. "Yep, come on... all of you.. show us how many of you there are." As soon as a handful of guards were within a few strides of his cage Izayah began shouting at all of them. "Which one wants a piece of me first!" His challenge to the guards a serious one as he stepped back with the bucket in tow, holding it now as a weapon. "Come on! Let me beat you down with a bucket! Cowards!"

[Salzem]

While Lanister was out, he wasted no time filling up a few spare vials with his own blood, wrapping up the wounds he had to inflict upon himself so the whole city doesn't go up in blood.... yet. The first place he went was that door, the one where the faceless demon had taken both he and Nevayah down below, one of his least favorite experiences ever in life... It was there where he felt truly responsible as his blood laid dozens upon dozens of people to waste or, rather, forced them to do that to themselves... The Faceless demon really didn't know what he was dealing with before, but he certainly did now and if he was still running that shop and decided to pull the same trick twice...? Well... getting between a father and his children is like signing your death warrant. Weaving through the streets and alley-ways, Lanister came before a familiar rotting door, knocking on it in a certain pattern only he and Nevayah knew how to access. Silence for several seconds... 4... 5... 6... And then a voice echoed out from inside... weak, pitiful, but familiar.

Go away... Curse you...! Leave me in peace! Lanister smirked, obviously amused by the state of the demon. He sounded as if Lanister's very presence cast him with fear, that if he were in any state than the one he was in now, the tainted blood would ruin him again... And he most certainly would...

"I need something from you." Lanister spoke, flat, neutral, not giving anything away, nor antagonizing the creature more than he already had. Another pause, but not as long.

What do you want...?

"I have 3 vials of my blood. I want 2 of the sharpest swords you have and one knife." The demon said nothing, not a sound coming from behind the door. Lanister tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for some kind of response and when he got none, he kicked the rotted wood so hard, he thought it might fall off it's hinges.

"I can leave you with nothing and just TAKE those weapons." Lanister bluffed, knowing full well the demon could easily over-power him. Still, he played on it's apparent weakness, his voice confident, strong, a matter of fact, as if that's what he was going to do right now. After another second of silence, the voice came through again.

...I hate you...

"I hate you too." Lanister responded, dropping the vials in through the slot in the door. Not a moment later, two long swords and a slightly curved dagger appeared outside the door. each one encompassed in their sheaths. Scooping them up, Lanister strapped one to his back, the other around his waist and strapped the knife to his hip, but not before slipping his sanguine jacket over his body and flipping the hood up, casting shadow over his face, only pierced by his blood-red eyes. He didn't have to head back home before he saw Nevayah in the market place, immediately walking up to her and her to him, his wife already explaining her plan. She stated that she had set up their horses outside with all the supplies they'll need, that she had found out who kidnapped their children: Kain... the fat man... the one who 3 times now had attempted to take away all that was precious to him... His anger was not such that he was ready to explode, rather, it tempered into his limbs, his mind, his focus, turning him into a weapon of percision, of purpose, rather than a force of nature. He let out a heavy sigh, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to loosen them, looking his wife in the eye as he spoke those next few words:

"I'm going to kill him."

He did not inflict any glares or looks that would imply he told her so, too in depth in planning of all the different ways he was going to rip that man's bulbous belly from his spine, or maybe something far slower, maybe having him succumb to Lanister's blood-poison... He didn't know yet, but he knew one thing for certain: He WAS going to die... Today and not a moment later. Nevayah explained that she was going to offer herself up to the fat man like she agreed to his terms the SECOND time he tried to steal what he loved. She explained that he probably didn't know Emia and Izayah were there kids, and, that once she was inside, Lanister would have to wait for a signal, one that would likely arrive around sunset. He nodded and undid the knife around his waist, offering it to Nevayah and, if she wouldn't take it, he would insist.

"Take this. I'd give you a sword, but I don't think they'd let you in with anything more than that." Nevayah would eventually take the dagger and declare that tonight, the fat man would die, Lanister growing strangely aroused with how determined Nevayah was, how absolutely hot she was when she wanted to kill someone... The male tainted wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her... he kissed her and kissed her until he felt he was going to keel over and die from lack of breath and even pushed his limits there...

"I love you, Nevayah..." He whispered, almost as if this were the just-in-case-goodbyes, like this was their end-game. "I love you... I love our family... I'll be right here... waiting..." And with that... she was gone, and the vengeful father stood right there in the sand, cracking his knuckles and counting his sins before the fall of night... Whether it be the fat-man's or theirs, his camp would run red with it tonight...

_______________________________________________________

Emia blushed as Umbra commented on her name, saying nothing as she picked sand out of her hair for her, running her fingers through it in an effort to get the annoying specs of earth out from their scuffle in the sand. The tanned-skinned girl was doing all these things for her, from giving her advice, to making sure she was groomed and clean, to merely talking to her at all to make this hell actually seem bearable...

And so, it was the least she could do to return the favor, and, once it was all over, the two girls smiled at each-other lightly, almost as if they weren't awaiting their deaths in the arena today. And yet, their number never came up... Time passed by exceedingly slowly in the metal cage, especially as it began to heat up under the sun and while nothing of interest was going on outside to eavesdrop on... No one was talking, no one was even sharpening weapons... they were just standing around as if waiting for a god to descend and commend their efforts.

"...Thank you...." Emia said after at least some time of silence, catching Umbra off guard.

"For what?"

"...Being there for me..." Because her arms were in shackles, Umbra couldn't help but raise her other hand as she placed on on Emia's cheek, gently stroking it with her thumb. The young tainted-blood couldn't help but blush further and avert her eyes downward towards the ground, feeling her skin spark at her touch.

"Its okay, Emia... We have to stick together, right...?" Umbra's voice was smooth, silky, soothing, something the young girl desperately needed as they wasted away together in this cursed box that was their cage... She looked up at Umbra once more, their eyes both red and yellow locking on to one-another's almost alluringly. They stared into each-other's eyes for a second, maybe two, before something in her peripheral drug her attention away.

"Oh my gods..." Emia whispered, clasping her hands over her mouth as she stared over Umbra's shoulder.

"What?" She asked, following her cell-mate's gaze to a woman just walking into the cage-area, chatting it up with the fat-man. Emia's eyes began to water as she recognized her mother strolling this way, coming to save them as her brother always KNEW she would...

"It's... my mom..." She whispered, staring at the woman clad in blue.

"It can't be... she doesn't look a day over 20..." Umbra muttered, a small flutter of hope in her voice, catching onto Emia's.

Without wasting a second and joined in with her brother a second later, Emia began yelling at the top of her lungs, grabbing the bars by the door to their cage and yanking at them with all her might, rattling the cage and attracting the attention of a few bandits to pull their attention away from her parent.

More and more bandits filed around the woman's cages as they did the men in an effort to silence this noise, but even as they kicked the cages, shouted over them and drew their weapons, Emia would not be silenced.

[Blink]

Her attention turned along with Kain's towards the cages off in the distance. "What is this?" Kain asked directing his question towards one of his guards. "Shut him up this instant!" He ordered, but soon after pointing his guards in Izayah's direction more shouts rang out throughout the camp, this time from a girl. Nevayah was lucky the guards and Kain were distracted because at this moment she was beaming with pride. Not only did her children manage to immediately disclose their locations, but they also drew out as many guards as possible so that she knew what they were up against. Kain then turned his attention to Nevayah, who was still grinning from ear to ear. "Inspiring isn't it?" Kain had assumed Nevayah's smile was for a completely different reason. "My slavers will do whatever I say at the snap of a finger. I never knew such obedience would inspire you so!"

Stumbling on her own words she tried to respond to make it sound like this was indeed why she was so happy in that moment. "Yes it is" the only words she could manage to get out as the realization that at least a dozen guards were now swarming each of her children. "So are you going to give me the grand tour?" She gestured with her arm at the camp as a whole, wanting to see every square inch of it.
"Oh yes! Of course" Kain chuckled, realizing that was what he was about to do before the sudden 'outburst'. He once more began making his way towards the women's cages wanting to start there and work his way down. "These are my female warriors!" Among the cages were some 'women' Nevayah had a hard time believing to be feminine at all. But then there were the few that actually looked like in a different world could be quite beautiful.

Stopping in front of a few cages Kain pointed out who his strongest fighters were as if Nevayah would be impressed, when in truth she couldn't wait until they came to Emia's own cage. However, it was hard to see past the several guards swarming the cage doing god knows what to her baby girl. When they finally parted she saw one of the guards holding a long cane pole and it caused Nevayah's heart to drop in her chest once more. She still couldn't see inside due to the shuffling bodies now starting to part ways, having taken care of the noise problem with force. But if a single one of those men laid a hand on her child, by gods she would kill them the first chance she got. Her attention then grabbed once more as she heard the cries of Izayah from across the camp along with the whipping noise of bamboo hitting flesh.

It was so hard for her to keep her composure as not only one, but two of her children were in danger of being hurt. She wanted to cry... she wanted to take the knife out of her bag and kill every single one of them if she could and send them all to hell... but she couldn't. Despite her motherly instinct clawing at every fiber of her being Nevayah could not do anything but stand and stare at what was happening, for risking her cover would blow any chance of saving her children out of the water. She felt horrible, like in some way she was betraying her children. "This can't wait until nightfall." she repeated over and over in her head trying to calm her aching heart. Lanister would kill all of them... and she would love every single moment of it. But now she had to figure out how to get him in earlier... fearing that even if another hour passed her children would suffer even worse fates.

___________________________________________________________________________

Still standing with bucket in hand Izayah started swinging it violently as the slavers began to pool into his cage. There were a few that he managed to knock out cold in the head, his quick and nimble movement too fast for them. But then the bigger guys came in, and a blow by a bucket was no enough to knock them down. Instead it seemed to only infuriate them further and before he knew it he was pinned to the ground, his stomach crushed against the stand and each arm held down by a foot of a different guard to his side. With his face in the sand he could barely breath, much less see anything. Managing to twist his head to the side his eyes darted around, taking in the face of every guard within his sights. But then he heard his sister across the camp and that made him so happy.

"You did it" his conscious making everything he had just done worth it. And then he saw the guard walking around the outside of his cage with a long cane pole in hand. His eyes shot wide as he began to struggle under the weight of the guards holding him down in pure panic.
"This will teach you to keep your mouth shut boy!" One of the slavers huffed behind him, clearly enjoying the thought of what he was about to watch. "Five lashes! And next time it will be double if you ever pull anything like that again!" Then as if the man had been standing there eager the entire time Izayah felt the wrath of the pole sting his back between his shoulderblades. It felt as if they were slicing away at his flesh, ripping into him over and over again. The lashes were all a blur after the first, the initial shock never wearing off from it. Apparently he had screamed the entire time, surely loud enough for not just everyone in the camp to hear but probably outside as well... loud enough to reach his father's ears.

[Salzem]

Emia continued making noises as Umbra watched her friend in confusion, wondering what exactly she was getting at. She didn't understand that both Izayah and his sister had just brought out as many bandits around the camp as they could, exposing the total amount of guards posted here... Effectively, the two children let their mother know what she was up against and no doubt dad was on the outside, waiting for his time to get in... Emia felt victorious, that they had just WON and now, all that was left was to wait, to mop up whatever or whoever needed mopping and then head home, freeing all these poor souls before doing so... They had won because mom and dad could do anything...

Their victory was short lived though as the mass of guards ripped open the door to their cage and pulled both Emia and Umbra out with the force of a dozen angered and frustrated men, dragging them out in the open, holding them still. Even with Emia's anger and frustration for these men, her strength nor Umbra's could overcome the collective might of Fat-Man Kain's guards... not even close... With two men each easily being enough to grapple the two young girls into submission, the rest formed a circle around them, eyeing them up as if they were some kind of product... a different kind of slave. One then stepped forward, holding a leather switch lined with steel balls along it's neck, no doubt to increase impact power...

"The boss doesn't like trouble makers." The bandit rumbled, lightly tapping his palm with the switch as he sized up Emia. "And trouble-making is worth 5 good lashes!" The bandits forming the circle around them let out a cry of agreement, forcing Emia around, exposing her back to the bandit's punishing stick. He raised it above his head, ready to deliver the first lash.....

"I'LL TAKE HER BEATING!" A voice rang out, silencing the bandits. Their eyes fell on Umbra, her gaze locked on Emia's as she stared back at her, wide-eyed, confused.

"You'll... what...?" The Bandit asked, lowering his arm, looking at the former "champion" as if she were an idiot.

"I... I said... I'll take her beating." This time, the bandit grinned, shoving Emia to the side, being caught by 3 other bandits who held her still

"I thought you were smart... You were our champion after all..." The bandit commented, forcing Umbra around, her back exposed to them. "But the master doesn't suffer fools either... another 5 lashes will learn you your lesson!"

Emia watched in horror as the evil method of discipline came down on Umbra's back again, and again, skin being stripped away by the metal teeth of the lashing.... Her screams would haunt Emia for a long time, maybe even the rest of her life... and not once did Umbra stop staring at her...

_______________________________________

Lanister was sharpening one of his two swords while Nevayah worked her magic, running a whet stone along it's edge in an effort to make a sword that rends flesh into one that shreds bone. He had already gone through 3 already, carving them into sharp-edged stones that he slipped into his pockets along with a strip of leather... a potential sling and ammo if he would ever need it... It was when he had just finished with the fourth stone that he heard Izayah's screams echo through out the sky, his head jerking up in the direction of the horrible, nightmare-inducing sound... After each scream, a loud CRACK could be heard, knowing exactly what was happening... they were switching his son... Calmly, quietly, Lanister slipped the stone into his pocket with the rest, and slipped his sword in it's sheath before putting his head in his hands, tears quietly rolling down his cheeks...

"Izayah.... forgive your father..." He whispered as if praying to a god. "I promise... You're suffering will not go unanswered...."

[Blink]

When Nevayah was finally able to see past the guards he heard another girl's voice, one she was not familiar with, volunteer to take Emia's lashings. Whoever this girl was... she would be saved tonight as well, they owed her at least that much. Nevayah stood next to the fat man watching this girl take her daughter's lashings, as well as how she stared at her daughter. "An issue for another day" she thought to herself as her eyes then darted towards the men's cages, straining to see if she could find Izayah among them. "Can we move on please?" She asked Kain, wanting to get moving along with observing the camp. It was only when Kain was walking in front of her that she looked back at Emia, giving her a subtle smile before turning back forwards.

It was so hard to have been so close to her daughter and not embrace her, hug her or run her fingers through her hair. She wanted so badly just to scoop her up right there and carry her out of those gates, even if she was almost as tall as she was by now. And with each step she took away, leaving her baby girl back in the hands of all of those guards caused a break in her heart. Nevayah had anticipated this would be hard, but she never imagined it to be this heartbreaking. Seeing her children being treated like this and yet she couldn't do a single thing about it made her feel like the world's worst parent.

Nevayah was almost relieved when the blabbering of the fat man continued on about his male slaves. Just as he had previously he started picking and choosing certain ones to show her, but in reality her only interest laid on Izayah's cage just ahead. Kain paused in front of his just as he had a few before his and he began his story. "That girl back there, and this boy are my newest additions! Twins! And they are both actually quite skilled.." he then trailed off about the mock match each of them partook in earlier in the day. Nevayah felt a bit of pride when she learned both of them passed with flying colors, of course they did... they were her children. "I plan to make a pretty penny off of them tomorrow!" That comment though, caused the hate and disgust he held for the man to envelop her heart once more.

Along with Kain's comment on how her children would make him some serious money Nevyah's rage was fueled by Izayah's current state. The guards had already cleared from this area and they just left him laying there in the dirt inside of the cage. She could see his back, which was once flawless and perfect now scarred beyond recognition. Lanister and Nevayah had worked so hard to keep her children away from this life.. and yet here she was staring at her child beaten and battered within the confines of a cage. "Tomorrow I will have you heal him before the match, but for now I want him to feel the pain of his punishment." Kain turned his cheek and then began walking on, motioning with his hand for Nevayah to follow. In reality all she wanted to do was stand there and just look at him a little longer... look at the wounds she may as well have inflicted upon her child. But at least he was alive, perhaps passed out... but alive. "Mommy will be back" another silent promise she made to get her children out of this hell hole.

The rest of the day passed as the fat man showed Nevayah around the camp. He showed her where they kept their supplies and even some of the inner workings of the establishment. How stupid was he? Did he really think he could trust her that much? He was almost making this too easy. By now she had already constructed the final plan in her mind. Kain had told her at night most of the guards go home, as they live in Essyrn and have families. The only ones who stay behind are a select few, and even then they usually just sit around a fire trying to keep themselves warm during the cold night. Every thirty minutes they make a round along the walls of the camp, ensuring that everyone was where they were supposed to be. This was her window, that half an hour where they sat comfortably in front of the flames. Kain's personal resting space was a tent on the farthest side of the camp, also farthest away from the cages. Conveniently, Nevayah was supposed to be sleeping in the medical hut, so that if any emergencies came up she would easily be found. However, she was also given permission to do whatever she wanted within the confines of the camp, as long as she was up and ready to work at first light... perfect.

Just when the sun had begun setting in the sky Nevayah piped in on one of Kain's conversations, having been standing by his side literally the entire night. "I would like to leave the camp to go get some 'proper' food. She eyed the pile of mush the guards were eating pretending to be disgusted by its very sight. "I also need to pick up a few supplies your medical hut does not have. Please allow me this and I will be back before the sun has fully set." Nevayah went as far as lowering her head in front of Kain, making it seem she was being submissive to him.
Kain brought a hand to his chin as he thought over her proposition."Very well... but." For the first time that day his attitude became very serious towards her. "... if you are not back before the sun sets I will have every slaver in Essyrn looking for you. And if you leave Essyrn I will pay your family a visit." His words a warning, one that if she did not have ulterior motives would have scared her to pieces.
"Very well" all she said before making her way out of the camp, her grasp tightening on her bag as she waited for the guards to open the gates. The moment she was 'free' once more she started off towards the marketplace, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. But just before she would reach the busiest sector she made a sharp turn, walking directly towards where Lanister was sitting with his head in his hands. Her pace quickened as she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him so tightly one would think she had not seen him in ages.

"I don't have much time. I have to be back before dark." She took a hand and placed it under his chin, holding his head up to look her in the eyes, there he would see she was just as heartbroken as he was. "Most of the guards go home at night, and I have been given free reign as long as I stay within the walls. When the temperature drops they all sit around a fire and chit chat, but make rounds every thirty minutes. I will watch and as soon as they finish their first set of rounds I will meet you at the front gate. Don't stand too close, I don't want them to see you. But just wait near it.. you will see it open just enough for you to get in... that is your chance."

She paused to see if he understood, and then she was off again. Grabbing a piece of bread from a stand just at the edge of the marketplace to make it look like she actually got something to eat. The guard seemed surprised when she approached the gate with bread in hand. "Let me back in please." she smiled, putting on the fakest performance of her life. Kain was standing just outside of his tent when she came in, clearly having been watching the gate the entire time. Did he really think she wouldn't be coming back? Lifting the bread into the air so that he could see it she smiled and nodded, all the while walking towards the medical hut where she would be staying.

Once inside she threw her bag on the bed and dug out the knife, tucking it inside of her pant leg just at her hip so that no one would see it should they come in. And from there she waited until she could hear the chattering of men by the fire. About an hour had passed, and the entire time she was pacing back and forth in the tent, waiting for the opportune time. Then she heard it, the beginning of campfire stories exchanged between coworkers. "Perfect" she mumbled under breath as she peaked her head out of the hut. By now she had already blew the candle out in her hut, to make it seem like she had already fallen asleep. But unfortunately when she peaked her head out one guard was sitting on a stool near it, probably instructed by the fat man to keep a close eye on her.

This foiled her plan a bit and caused her to think on her feet. "Uhm... excuse me" she whispered to the man stationed outside of her hut. "I have to go to the bathroom" a cheesy smile spreading across her face. The guard only shrugged at her and then went back to staring at the men at the fire, clearly agitated he was babysitting in the first place. "Thank you" she whispered before strolling completely out of the door. But instead of making her way towards the gate she circled around her hut, coming up behind the man in the stool. The action was so quick not a soul would notice the half slumped man in the stool, appearing to be sleeping. Nevayah did it with no remorse, only anger as she thought of her children when she did it. This man was part of the group that manhandled her daughter.. he had it coming.

Without even batting an eye she ripped the knife from his head and wiped it on her pant leg before shoving it back to its hidden place, putting on the facade of the happy go lucky girl who had to use the restroom once more. Sprinting along the wall in the cover of night she made quick work of getting to the gate, and just as she had the man outside of her tent she shoved the knife into another man's skull. This one was looking forwards... never saw it coming. Then, she unlocked the gate pushing it open just enough for Lanister to sneak in.

[Salzem]

Emia and Umbra were shoved back into their cages mercilessly as Emia's mother walked by, but not before undoing their shackles around their hands, Umbra too weak to do anything and Emia needed hers to tend to her fallen friend. Clearly, the bandits were confident in their handiwork, confident enough to allow a seasoned fighter her hands, but, right now, she wasn't a seasoned fighter... She was a scared little girl, , resting her friend on her legs, careful to keep her back off of the sand let it get inside her gashes. Umbra looked horrible... She was sweating, her eyes barely open, her stomach rising and falling with quick, feverish breaths as she desperately attempted to stay conscious... It looked as if at any moment, she would fall into a coma, one she would never wake up from and that frightened Emia beyond anything before... Beyond the faceless demon, beyond the bandits that kidnapped them... beyond their scheduled arena fight...

"W....why...?" The little tainted girl whispered, staring into the faded golden eyes of Umbra, her gaze already miles away. Despite her ever weakening state, a small ghost of a smirk spread across her lips, gesturing for Emia to come closer. Assuming she meant to speak, she lowered her face mere inches from Umbra's to catch what she had to say, her eyes going wide as her lips were met feebily with hers, softly caressing Emia's before the girl pulled away, her cheeks positively burning.

"I.... c-couldn't.... let that.... go... H-had.... to get even...." She whispered, giggling softly before flinching as the gashes in her back made her pay for even moving. Normally, this might push Emia away, possibly even drop her friend to fend for herself in her embarrassment, but now... after what she did to save her, how she took that damage for her... it was something she could not do... Instead, she held her friend even closer as the night began to fall upon them, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, cradling her protectively.

"Oh, Umbra..." She whispered, pressing her forehead to hers. "You're so dumb...."

"M-maybe..... b-but so are you..." She retorted before her eyes closed and her muscles loosened, falling asleep under her stress.

_______________________

Lanister's gaze flicked up from his wallowing as Nevayah appeared before him again, her forefinger and thumb taking his chin, tilting his head up enough for their eyes to meet, her ocean blues just as devastated as his were... She must've seen what went on in there... how thier sun got hit over and over... He assumed she did nothing and she couldn't blame her... The fat man had defenses she'd be foolish to tackle now with all those guards there... At the gate ALONE there were at least four men...

Nevayah began immediately by stating that she didn't have much time, that she had to be back before nightfall... She explained that at night, very few of the guards were even there and that Nevayah had been given the ability to walk freely within the camp's walls. Lanister smiled ruefully at that... What he'd give to be able to walk freely in there... They'd ALL be dead and he'd be laughing.... Perhaps he should have been afraid that he'd been taking humor in their situation, but he couldn't find a time more appropriate... Nevayah stated that the remaining guards would be around a camp-fire as the temperature drops, but those on duty shift positions about every 30 minutes... That would give them very little time to accomplish their mission which was disappointing to say the least... Oh well... he'd have to make do with what they had. Lanister nodded, displaying his understanding before his wife quickly swiped a piece of bread off a nearby stand and made her way back in the direction of the camp, Lanister following her a few minutes later... He waited just out of sight of the outside guard behind a cart, waiting for the shroud of blackness to fall... Fore as soon as it did... so shall they...

Every so often he'd check the gates and, after his 5th check... it was open... without wasting a second, the male tainted slipped inside, pulling it shut behind him before facing his wife, smirking at her handiwork before handing her one of his two swords.

"Go find our children..." He whispered, gesturing to the camp in front of them. "The fat-man loves luxury... I'll just go for the biggest tent... Be safe..." This wasn't the time for 'I love you"'s or anything like that... the stakes were too high and time was a factor... they must not be seen until it was time or else they might lose everything!

Without another word and with the professionalism only a determined, angry father could have, Lanister slipped into the shadows of the camp, dodging the occasional guard as they continued on their patrol, blissfully unaware of what lurked in the darkness...

It didn't take long for Lanister to find the massive tent at the far edge of camp, not even a little off-put with the two guards standing on either side. One looked tipsy and the other... well... appeared incompetent to say the least... Drawing his blade, Lanister stepped into the light of the moon and with only two flashes of steel, the men were on the ground, their guts spilling out from the slices in their bellies... None of those around the fire suspected a thing... and they wouldn't for at least 20 more minutes...

Slipping inside the tent, Lanister made his way to where the fat-man lay, his bulbous belly rising and falling under the sheets of his satin-covered bed, glaring down at him with a look of cold, unending hatred unmatched by anything in this world. He considered killing him quickly, a cut to the throat... a stab through his enormous gut... but that just wouldn't be worth this effort... would it...? Not after all he had put his family through. NOT. ACCEPTABLE. He would look into his face as his life left his bloody body, as Lanister ripped him assunder for his crimes against him and everyone else. He will SUFFER... He didn't deserve the mercy of a quick death.

With his free hand, Lanister would curl his fingers into a fist and strike the fat-man's temple once, then twice, shattering his sleeping state with a brutality matching his hired swords.

"Talk... and I take your tongue..." He whispered softly, his tone nothing less than smooth and monstrous. If the fat man would look Lanister's way, he'd see the partner of the girl he tried to steal, the husband of the woman he tried to extort, father to the kids he had chained up in his camp... He'd see the justice he must've known was coming for him...

"Remember me... you bastard!?"

[Blink]

After a few minutes Lanister appeared from behind the gate and Nevayah felt a bit of relief that so far their plan was working. He was quick though to tell her to go find their children after handing her a sword, one quite longer than the little knife she had been carrying around. What was he thinking? She had no clue how to use this thing... she was barely even able to handle the dagger in her hand. But she did not argue as she nodded in agreement and took off just as quickly as he did, but not before swiping a set of iron keys from the guard she had taken down to open the gate. Running with all the ferocity she could muster she surprised herself at how quickly she had arrived at Emia's cage. Her hands shook as she fumbled through the keys and stuck them in the lock one by one until finding the one to unlock her cage. As soon as the lock clicked open Nevayah ripped it off the cage and threw it in the sand, swinging the door wide open and running inside.

Immediately she dropped to her knees before her daughter who was cradling the friend that took her blows. "We don't have much time." Nevayah whispered as she pulled the dagger from her waste, slicing at her wrist causing blood to drip instantly. "I will heal her just enough to run. I can't do much more without weakening myself. Once we get to safety I will heal her the rest of the way." Nevayah held her wrist above the girl's lips, letting a few drops trickle onto her lips. "Your father is here." Nevayah's attention still on the girl in Emia's lap, but her words directed at her daughter. "Get her out of here and wait for us outside the gates." Nevayah's gaze then met her daughters, tears pooling her eyes as she was relieved to finally be able to speak with her. "... I love you."

Nevayah then grabbed the long sword Lanister had given her and handed it to Emia, knowing she could make better use of it than her. "Kill as many as you can" Words a mother should never say to her daughter. "I have to go get your brother..." Nevayah paused as she thought of his condition from earlier that day. "... I prey he will be okay." Placing a hand on each side of her daughter's face she pulled her in for a kiss on the forehead, then resting hers against Emia's for just a few seconds. "Thank the gods you are alright." And then Nevayah was off again, already on her feet and sprinting towards the men's side of the camp.

Izayah was right where she left him, still passed out in his cage but at least alive. Just as before she fumbled through the keys to find the one to open the lock, and then ripped the door open as quickly as she could. Dropping to her knees once more she cradled Izayah's head in her lap, brushing some hair from his eyes. "Izayah honey... I need you to wake up." Her voice urgent but quiet so as not to alarm the guards just yet. Unfortunately, Izayah didn't wake up immediately so Nevayah resorted to tapping his cheeks with her hands... little pats to get his attention. "Izayah... mommy and daddy are here to get you but we need you to get up." Her voice more urgent than the first time. This time though his eyes first squeezed farther shut before fluttering open.

The sight of his beautiful blue eyes caused more tears to pool in the mother's eyes, thankful that he was able to at least do that. "M-mom?" His voice raspy and breathy.
"Yes honey its me." By now she was already holding her wrist to his mouth, trying to get more blood to drip into his mouth. "Drink this honey... it will help." Izayah was so delusional he had no idea that what he was drinking was his mother's blood. If he had known, he would have refused it. "I need you to get up..." Izayah then began to stir, but the pain in his back quickly caused him to go back down. "... I know it hurts honey but I need you to stand okay?" Nevayah's voice soothing as she tried to encourage him to stand.

With helping hands Izayah was eventually able to stand up, his head woozy from being on the ground for so long. He could already feel the effects of whatever his mother gave him kicking in, his back starting to tingle from the tissue's attempt at healing. As soon as Nevayah thought him capable she led Izayah out of the cage, ushering him towards the gate to meet his sister. "Your father and I have to take care of a few things, go straight to the gate and wait with your sister." And then just as twice before Nevayah was gone, running through the camp with a mission.

Stepping out from between the cages at first the guards around the fire thought Nevayah was just coming up to talk. There smiles though quickly turning to urgent concern as she stepped into the light, blood dripping down one wrist while in her other hand she held a dagger. "Which one.." her voice persistant as she eyed each of them. "Which one of you caned my son!" Her words sharp and hateful. And then one of the guards stepped forwards, almost laughing at her calling him out. He didn't even bother saying anything, but instead raised a hand signalling it was him she was after. This of course was another instance where Nevayah was a small dog with a big bark. In her mind she was going to take down each of these men, one by one.

Taking another step towards the man she gripped the dagger tightly in one hand and brought it in front of her, jabbing it in his direction but retracting it before it would even touch him. It caused the man to flinch, and then break out in a full on laughter accompanied by the other guards at the fire. Clearly they did not see her as a threat since not a single one of them seemed concerned that she was holding a dagger in her hand. But in the middle of the man's laugh Nevayah shifted her other hand and before he knew it he had a Nevayah sized fist in the center of his face, hitting him right at the bridge of his nose. Immediately the blood began to pool from his nose, and he fell back on his rump right into the burning embers of the fire. Half of the remaining men were bent over laughing, while the other half were trying to hurry and get their friend from the flames.

Bringing her hand towards herself she shook it back and forth. "Son of a-!" she yelled as the pain shot through her hand. In reality she had never punched anyone like that, and even though her hand hurt like hell it was so worth it. "Who's next?" her words once again going sharp as she was ready to take on the next. But to her suprise three of the guards stepped forwards, leaving only the one who fell in the fire and the friend that was helping him the only ones to deal with after this. Taking a step back Nevayah realized she had bit off more than she could chew, but was going to fight regardless. So as the three lunged at her all at once Nevayah ducked down, causing two of them to run into one another. "Wow... I can't believe that worked" she said jumping back up, surprised that the two were stupid enough to fall for it. She couldn't even help the proud little smile she had for herself for managing that, and it made her feel like a total badass.

But as soon as she went to get into a defensive stance the third guard she had forgotten about came out of nowhere and clocked her right in the side of the head, knocking her straight to the ground. The guard then walked towards her, he was clearly not as entertained as she had been a few minutes ago. Just as the man went to pick his leg up to kick her Nevayah screamed holding her hands out in front of her as if to soften the impending blow. "Wait!" she shouted, her eyes wide in fear. The guard stopped mid-kick, his foot hovering in the air ready to swing forwards at any moment. "I'm pregnant!"

____________

In the tent Kain was dreaming of swimming in rivers of money before he was awoken by a hard blow to the head. He would have screamed, but Lanister had already warned him not to speak. So scared for his life he lay in his bed, completely confused on what the Tainted was doing here. He listened as Lanister spoke, asking if he remembered him. Putting his hands in front of his face in a 'mercy' gesture Kain slowly began to nod to answer the man's question.

Of course he remembered him, how could he not. In fact he had thought of Lanister on at least a dozen different occasions just today. "She came on her own!" He suddenly screamed, hoping it would ease Lanister's anger. Of course he had no idea about the real reason Lanister was there.

[Salzem]

Emia's eyes widened with surprise and relief as her mother reappeared in front of her cell, fumbling with the key and lock in an effort to get in open. While she struggled with the cage, the young tainted gently shook her friend, managing to coax her out of her sleep with a soft groan, much to Emia's consolation.

"What...." He moaned through her exhaustion and pain, her yellow eyes fluttering open, locking onto Emia's once more. "I was having... a nice dream..."

"Mom's here...." She whispered, her voice containing no small amount of excitement. "She's going to set us free..."

"Oh.... did she bring.... bandages...?" Emia didn't answer that as her mother tore open the gate's door and ran inside, cutting her wrist with a knife, her healing blood spilling out over the sand. Unlike her brother Izayah, Emia knew what powers her mother's blood entailed for she was a budding alchemist and she knew a lot of her mom's formulas... some, if not many including her blood alone as a key ingredient... Explaining they didn't have much time without as much as a hug or... anything, Nevayah stated that she would heal Umbra just enough to get her moving. Emia smiled at her mother like she was a divine angel, gently poking her friend's tan side with her finger.

"Open wide..." She whispered. Umbra grumbled but did not complain, Nevayah's miracle blood dripping into her mouth and down her throat, the wounds on her back healing substantially in a few seconds, along with her energy being reconstituted... Umbra's eyes shot open as she forced herself to her feet, shakily at first, but with support from Emia, she managed to find solid ground.

"Thank you..." She whispered, smiling at Nevayah, then at Emia, but in a much different way. Wasting no time at all, Nevayah explained that Dad was here, and for them both to to wait outside the gates for them... With tears building in her eyes, Emia's mother declared that she loved her and the little girl couldn't help but respond in kind... Her own eyes filled with the salty tears, her lower lip trembling, wanting nothing more than to embrace her mother and knowing that now was not the time.

"....I love you too, mom...." Stepping outside the cage, Nevayah handed Emia the sword Lanister had given her, telling her to "kill as many as she could", Something she never thought she'd EVER hear her mother say, but something she would gladly do... For what they had done to her... for what they had done to her brother... for what they had done to Umbra, she would cut down each one that stood in her way!

"I will, mom." She declared, but her strong facade crumbled once more as her mother placed a hand on her cheek, stating that she had to find her brother... that she prayed he was okay... Emia nodded quietly, gesturing for Umbra to get moving.

"Be safe mom... please..." And with that, the two young teens were off into the night, booking it straight for the gates that would lead them to freedom. Without even getting 20 feet, they were stopped by a bandit with a broken bottle so drunk, it was a wonder how he could even walk! The man immediately reached out and grabbed Umbra's hand tightly, the younger girl unable to break away in her weakened state. As if stomping a roach, Emia thrust her blade into the throat of the man as he struggled with her friend, the man on the ground and bleeding out before he could make a sound.

"My hero..." The yellow-eyed girl sighed dreamily, clearly playing, but also a hint of truth to it that made Emia's heart go all warm and fuzzy despite what she had just done. Cutting down 2 more men on their way to the gates, the two teens eventually found themselves on the other side, breathing hard, but smiling at each-other widely... But Emia's smile faded first, as they waited a whole minute or two without any sign of her brother or mother or even DAD coming through that gate...

"...I'm going back in." Emia declared, tightening her grip on her blade before being suddenly stopped by Umbra who grabbed her by the shoulder. Emia glanced back at her friend, her face stone, determined. She wouldn't be stopped... She wouldn't hang around here and wait for them to come... not while she had a weapon in her hands... "Don't try to stop m- HEY-" Suddenly, she was whirled around and found her lips on Umbra's again, her arms wrapped around her pale form as she kissed her, much more meaningfully than the one in the training grounds or the cage. Perhaps this was a side-effect of the blood Nevayah had given her, or maybe these feelings were there all along.... she couldn't say... When Umbra pulled away this time, Emia wasn't blushing... she was staring into the eyes of who was now her girlfriend, craving more but knowing she now had to go...

"I wasn't going to stop you..." She explained, winking. "I just wanted to wish you good luck..."

"Oh... right...." Emia awkwardly responded, stumbling back through the gate and into the camp once more as Umbra shook her head and laughed.

Without a moment's pause, Emia made her way through the camp, carrying her sword behind her. They were running out of time and daddy was still nowhere to be seen... where WAS he....? Emia's train of thought was broken when she saw a bandit's foot hovering over her mother's stomach from behind, her face once flustered and dreamy now stony and killer once more. With a swing of her blade, she severed the man's neck, his head rolling off his body and falling backwards on the ground, missing the smaller girl by a few inches.

"Mom...?" She asked, staring at her parent, wide-eyed, covered with blood, confused. "What do you mean... you're pregnant....? What.... why...." Emia couldn't put two thoughts together anymore, this news wiping away all sense.

_______________________________

Lanister had drug a chair over beside the fat-man's bed, playfully running his fingers up and down the edge of the sword's blade as the fat-man attempted to plead for his life. Lanister only held up a hand, stopping him before he could even mention his wife... he didn't have the right...

"Hush, little worm... What did I say about that tongue...?" Lanister smiled kindly, as if he were disciplining his children. "One more word, and I'll chop it off..." He walked around the other side of the bed, now, almost absently pressing the point of his finger against the point of the blade, just barely not breaking the skin.

"You're scum... you know this, worm? This is the third time you tried to dig your hands into my family." The fat man would feet Lanister's fist on his jaw yet again, this time much harder than before... a punch with a purpose to be sure. "The THIRD!" punch. "DAMN." punch. "TIME!" Lanister stared down over the beaten man with a cold indifference as Lanister drove his sword into his palm, the pain completely overshadowed with the satisfaction of what would happen next.

"Die..." He whispered as he placed his bloody palm on the man's skull, his rage growing as did the man's pain. "Die!"