Unchained [M] [SanctifiedSavage]

[Lowen Thorn]

@SanctifiedSavage



Amaya was a long way from Thanatos today. Not that it mattered, he thought. He would go where the bounty was, and what a fucking bounty it was. Nicholas Bernard was pretty well known among hunters-for-hire, primarily for his illegal operation in underground slavery. He'd been at it for a while - buying and selling women for companionship, a pretty title for a living sex doll, though it was increasingly difficult for the average hunter to infiltrate his operation.

The Gentleman's Club, is how it was marketed. It was underground operation, literally, because they sold the women under ground - beneath the sands of Essyrn.

His line of work could be dangerous, but he had to line his pockets in some way or another. Really, he was just bored.

With his hand resting on the rough paintwork that coats his table, surrounded by men with an interest in buying a bride (or whatever they intended to do), he sipped from a clear, half-empty glass. The whisky turned down the volume of his thoughts as his eyes rested easy on the curtained stage.

The bar itself was hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing over one another as they eagerly awaited tonight's talent. That would make it all the more easy to melt into his surroundings, be the vibe, and move around as easily as the smoke artistically curled through the dimly-lit room.

Nicholas was wanted dead or alive, but you can't kill the devil with just a fist. You wouldn't want to. Instead, he'd enjoy the chase, pursue the devil, and hogtie him if it came down to that.

The "dancers" should enter the stage soon.

Let the show begin.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Cattle. She was reminded time and time again that they were herded like cattle. From cage to cage, room to room. Ushered by guards with sharp swords, beady rat eyes, and calloused hands. In low lit halls and humid rooms, where the lack of windows made the air stifling.

Some of the girls cried. Others clung to one another with dead eyes. Already broken, having seen too much or in shock they'd been brought to such a place. Inaya couldn't exactly blame them. This sort of auction was the sort reserved for whores – which she most certainly was not. She'd been born the daughter of a wealthy merchant then sold off as a harem wife.

Her former husband had sold her here to disgrace her. To shuttle her away somewhere dark, to be forgotten. Likely because it was something she said. More than likely because she'd not birthed him a son yet. Pick a reason. She swayed in place and ignored the sweat gathering on her tanned skin while she watched the door opposite the one they'd entered. Eventually, one by one, they were pulled into a brightly lit, tiled room. Scrubbed down by wrinkled, older women who never looked her in the eyes, wrapped in see through veils, and shoved into yet another room.

Another cage.

At least this one had a draft and kept her from sweating anew. Not all the girls made the cut to this room, though. Only the ones that weren't crying, weren't broken. Inaya and a handful of soft, strong willed others. Dancers and former ladies of some highborn class. There was a muffled voice from beyond a curtained doorway, likely an announcer of some sort, and then soft music began to play.

One of the guards strode forward. "You dance." Simple enough instructions before she was shoved through the curtain along with two others.

Inaya blinked against the sudden light and much louder conversation beyond. The curtain had muffled more than she thought. She had a couple choices, then. She could do as she was told, and dance. Try to appease someone in the crowd and fetch a decent price. Maybe land a decent man. Go back to some villa and...then what? Play it all out again? That seemed to be the decision of the other two, who swayed to the soft tune.

Inaya absently did so – dancing was as natural as walking to her – but she was eyeing the dinner knife on the table right in front of the stage. Would prison be better than this? Because she was fairly certain she could kill at least one of them before they got ahold of her...

@Elf Lady Love

[Lowen Thorn]

The announcer, all too comfortable in his own skin, gave his little speech before the women were ushered onto the stage to dance and show their worth to the hell hounds around him. He wasn't entirely sure if the announcer had a bounty on him too, but nevertheless, he'd love to punch him right in his stupid face.

No sign of Nicholas yet, but that was fine. He could wait. He needed a little more time to enjoy his drink, and plan out his next move.

So he watched the women for a few moments. Unlike the other men, hollering in crude excitement, throwing their bids for the inhumane auction, and undressing the already loosely dressed women with their eyes, he remained calm at his table.

It was embarrassing to see so many men act in such a desperate manner. They were practically foaming at the mouth.

Dumb bastards, he thought as he eyed the women on stage.

All of them more beautiful than the last. That was to be expected. They usually were at these type of "events." He felt bad, almost, but he wasn't here for them.

His eyes stayed on the women with a blank expression, but his internal alarm was scanning his surroundings for any sign of his prey.

[SanctifiedSavage]

There were very little benefits to being as underestimated as she was. Most saw her like they saw the other two. Blindly obedient, swaying to a nonsensical song. Paying no mind to her face or where her attention wandered. That didn't exactly matter, did it? What was she going to do, after all? In an underground cesspool surrounded by men as she was.

Inaya was a fair, delicate creature who was on display for them.

She spun and twirled, teasing veils to slip up tanned skin and expose more of what was already on display. It wasn't like the lights didn't already show damn near everything. Then she slid across the stage – all part of the dance – and slid right off. Near the table. There were shouts of surprise, concern, confusion.

Especially when the meal knife was embedded in the man's neck. The fork in his friend's gut. Blood splashed and coated her arms and veils. The two fell out of their plush velvety chairs and she darted from the scene. There were calls to grab her, but some were still sluggish, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

[Lowen Thorn]

What. The. Fuck.

So that happened.

So much for his cool, calm, collected plan. So much for moving like the smoke. This little danger had plans of her own, and he's just damn lucky he wasn't the one on the opposite end of her wrath. Well fucking bravo, he thought - half impressed and half annoyed.

A good hunter know how, and when, to improvise - and it was definitely the time to improvise.

"Let's get her boys!" he cried a battle cry before slugging one of the men next to him square across the jaw. Adding to the already growing chaos, he flipped his table over and rushed through the crowd of sweat and perversion.

Making as good a stride as any, he slipped through the back, chasing after her, though he was really searching for another.

[SanctifiedSavage]

She needed to get out before they got organized. Before it all came together and the men figured out she was the entire cause for the disturbance. There'd already been calls to 'get her' and some would reflexively snatch after her just because she was running.

Inaya hit one of the doors at a full sprint, breaking the delicate latch and tumbling into the hall beyond. She made it to her feet quickly and dashed down the carpeted hall. Doors to either side flashed by. She didn't know which one she wanted, she just wanted one before the others spilled into the hall behind her. So, she slipped into the first that happened to be unlocked.

Pity it wasn't unoccupied.

The man was as surprised to see Inaya as she was dismayed to see him. The room was meant for entertainment. A large, four poster bed with silk draped around it, an armoir opened up to all manner of toys and instruments, and a poor lady already sprawled on the bed. He, however, was not indisposed. Rather, it seemed he'd just finished up and was presently dressing. "I didn't know they'd send along desert," he remarked, surprise quickly turning to approval.

Inaya looked around for something sharp, but this time there wasn't a handy dining instrument near by.

[Lowen Thorn]

He wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to subdue his mark unnoticed now, not since Legs the Terror, he so lovingly named the beautiful stage girl with the quick hand, decided to fuck everything up. His initial checklist to get the job done was pretty easy, but now it consisted multiple factors.

• Finding Nicholas
• Knocking his ass out
• Tying him up
• Leaving the underground hell hole without alarming the masses.

He wouldn't be so lucky though. There would be a brawl. He just knew it.

As confident as he may have been in his abilities, he knew better than to try to take on a whole fleet of men suffering from blue balls.

His thoughts swirled in his head as he outran the other men until he slid through an open door.

Oh! There she was!

Oh. There he was.

"Nicholas!" Amaya boasted, his tone the precise mixture of greeting an old friend and delivering an "Aha!" moment. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

[SanctifiedSavage]

He advanced on her like a lion might a lamb. Her gaze flittered over various things within her reach. Expensive decor that she wouldn't hesitate to break over his none-too-pretty face. Why were all the men here sticky with sweat with unpleasantly beady little eyes? They all reminded her of rats.

Inaya didn't have much of an opportunity, though, as the door was shoved open. There was a moment of resistance, where she feared the mob had found her.

But no, one guy. She slid to the side and tried to be invisible. Out of the way. She also grabbed a slender marble statue and hid it behind her back. Just in case.

Apparently the guy who had pushed open the door knew this... other guy. Even better. He apparently wasn't looking for her. So, while they chatted and got to know one another she began to skirt the outer perimeter of the room toward the poor woman on the bed. Hoping to untie her and, eventually, flee the damn place.

[Lowen Thorn]

If Amaya hadn't already ruined the slave holder's day, he surely was about to. Nicholas was a short, angry man, and Amaya was just tall enough, and just fit enough with an athletic build, and just cocky enough, to where the opposing man might think it was his last day on earth.

Still, that didn't prevent him from defending his honor.

"And just who the hell are-"

"You're running an illegal operation here, Nic," Amaya said with a cheeky grin, taking a few steps closer to him. "And it's my Gods given duty to take you in."

Amaya was not a religious man in the slightest.

Noticing what Legs was doing from the corner of his eye, he decided to buy her a little more time. Hey. He couldn't help it. He had a soft spot for women, even if they didn't have a soft spot for him in return.

"We can do this a few different ways," the bounty hunter began, comfortably advancing on his prey with calm authority. "You can come quietly, or this can get violent." Another step forward, and he cracked each set of his knuckles with the opposite hand. "And if you're not a good little boy, I'll rip them off."

"A bounty hunter then?" Nicholas scoffed, taking a step back and positioning himself for a fight. "How very pathetic. I'll have your head for this! What's your name?"

"Amaya Midgar," he beamed. "The one and only. But please, no autographs today."

He shot another quick glance at the woman, seeing if she had made any progress with the poor woman tied up to the bed.

Really, he had the right mind to give her a mouthful for causing such a scene when he was trying to work, but that would have to come later.

"GUARDS!"

Amaya's train of thought was quickly interrupted as Nicholas screamed for aid, louder than one would think possible from such a little man, and the thunderous echo of rushed feet approaching just outside the door soon followed.

"Fuck."

[SanctifiedSavage]

For the first time that day, she was as noticable as furniture and she was glad for it. Let the two men chat each other up while she surreptitiously slid next to the bed and did her best to untie the poor woman there. Who was lucid enough to roll on her side and present her tied hands and legs to Inaya. Luckily, the movement didn't seem to have drawn attention either.

Things seemed to be going well. Said bounty hunter would likely take whatever the other guy's name was in, she could follow him out like this was all part of the plan, and they'd go separate ways and she could... figure out life as a fugitive.

Except the man shouted. And guards seemed to be coming. For fuck's sake.

The statue was forgotten, as that'd be a terribly clumsy weapon, and she traded it out for an ornate dagger on a nearby stand that was most definitely not made for combat. It'd likely break the first real weapon it came into contact with but if Inaya was going to go down, she was taking people down with her.

She squared off with the door just as it was thrown open and they had armed and armored company.

[Lowen Thorn]

Amaya gave the man an annoyed glare, then shot that annoyed glare over to the woman of the hour - it was clearly her fault! - before returning his gaze to Nicholas.

"Fuck's sake," he breathed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Way to ruin the fun."

Without any further hesitation, he stepped up to Nicholas and gave him a quick, hard knee between the legs, then a swift uppercut across the bottom of his chin.

As expected, he surely ruined the man's day.

The slave trader was on the ground in an instant, his vision blurred black and blue, blood from his face on the floor, and holding himself in the fetal position as he gasped for air. Amaya, looking over him, sighed. "Something to remember me by," he said, raising his hands in the air to surrender.

At that moment, the guards flooded into the room, surrounding him and the two women. The bounty hunter peered over at Legs, giving her a look that was clearly advising her to do the same.

[SanctifiedSavage]

The woman she'd untied remained on the bed, kneeling in surrender. She wasn't about to fight. Which meant she'd go back to those cattle pens, dolled up and shipped off to another bedroom.

Inaya would not be fated to be passed around. She loosened her posture and smiled prettily. Innocent and unassuming. The first guard to approach her did so without concern and the blade found a soft spot in his armor, in his ribs. If it'd been anything more than ornamental, she'd have likely struck something major. Instead, he fell back clutching his side and cursing her colorfully.

Her ploy lost, she squared off with two more. A couple of feints, jabs, a few cuts on their arms, and eventually one of them charged her. She nearly spun out of the way but his shoulder clipped her hip and she went down. Before she could bury the blade in his shoulder, his friend pinned her top half down.

Inaya was hauled up by her hair after the blade was tossed away and her hands tied behind her back. The pretty gauze veil that had been lightly covering her face had been lost is the scuffle, so her displeasure was easily on display.

They wouldn't likely put her in a room though. A cell was preferable. From the angry, sharp glares tossed her way – which was an improvement to the wicked looks before – that seemed to be where they intended on taking her.

[Lowen Thorn]

"Oh my gods," Amaya said in disbelief as he watched the woman struggle against the hoard of guards.

Why would she-

How could she-

This woman was truly a special case. A glutton for punishment. Extremely brave, or just plain stupid.

Still, he admired the hell out of it.

He waited for one of the guards to take him under arrest when his vision went black.



Instead of simply arresting him, they opted to just strike him on the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. He must have been deemed too big of a threat at the time, or that is just how they dealt with someone not dedicated to the cause of treating women like property.

He awoke several hours later, his head throbbing as he rested comfortably on cold, solid ground. He didn't have to look around, or even open is eyes, to know that he was now sitting inside of a prison cell.

Prisons always had a distinct smell, and he had seen - or rather smelt - his fair share of them.

He was surprised, however, to see the woman who caused such a fuss in the cell next to him. Guess nobody wants to buy a woman who's hot with a knife, he thought, sitting upright to face her.

"Why'd you have to go and do that for?" he asked bluntly. "This could have gone a lot smoother."

[SanctifiedSavage]

She might've stabbed one of the guards and severely injured him, and pissed off the lot of them, but that didn't stop them from being handsy the whole way to the cells. The gauze wrap hadn't covered much of anything anyway, but she endured the grabbing and touching as she stoically had when her previous husbands had done much of the same thing.

What did it matter now?

By the time she'd been tossed in the cell, the only thing left of her clothes was the gauze and gold around her waist. Her top had long been torn and lost in the transport. Her tanned skin was smeared with dirt and a little blood, as well as her long black hair having been tangled from the fight and how she'd been hauled around by it.

Frankly, she was cold. The cells were underground, further than the place she'd been before. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. At some point, she must have dozed off. It wasn't exactly restful and she came to at every little sigh and squeak around her. To include when the man in the cell next to her woke.

At his question, her bright blue eyes narrowed. "Are you an idiot?" She was great at first impressions. "It might have been smoother for you, but I've no interest in being passed from bed to bed." This was, for the moment, the best thing that could've happened to her. She just needed a plan now... Maybe once it was later? What time was it?

There was a hall that led from the cells and she was pretty sure she could retrace her steps. In the room beyond, she could hear the half murmured words of the two watchmen. She just... needed a way past them. Maybe during shift change? Was that a thing?

[Lowen Thorn]

Are you an idiot?

Amaya couldn't help but grin at her question, and even managed a small, amused chuckle. Fair enough, he thought. He probably deserved that. He eyed the woman up and down, noticing her lack of clothing in the process. It was hard not to notice. The guards really did a number on her on the way to the cells.

He, on the other hand, was left pretty much in tact minus the lump on the back of his head. Shocker.

"Here."

He removed his black long-sleeved shirt that sat over a simple white, shorter-sleeved shirt and passed it to her between the steel bars. "No sense in you freezing," he said, looking away from her to give her what little privacy she had left. "And stop thinking you're going to escape right away. I can see the wheels spinning in your head, but there's too much commotion at the moment for us to try anything. Let's wait a while. Let it die down."

Sighing, he placed his hands behind his head and lied back down, eyes to the ceiling. "So what's your name?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

She did not appreciate that her intended insult was so well received. Inaya continued to scowl prettily but didn't press. Instead, she turned her attention toward the only exit. She'd be damned to eternal hell-fire before she was shoved back with the other girls. Better to be executed at this rate.

At least, given her current mindset that's how she felt.

He did catch her off guard when he actually offered her his shirt. She hesitated, only a moment, before crawling forward to take it from him. Gingerly, as though he might snatch it away mockingly. As she wrapped it around herself, she did smile bitterly when he suggested she stop thinking about getting away. "For us to try anything? What makes you think you're going to be able to get out?" Even so, she took his advice for now and settled back against the wall. Warmer for the fabric wrapped around her though she still hugged her legs. "And my name is Inaya. Not sure I caught yours while you were flirting with the man in the room..."

[Lowen Thorn]

If Amaya had a glass full of anything in his mouth, he would have spit it out. Still, he managed to convey that feeling through the temporary choking of his own laughter, followed by an amused sigh as he continued to stare aimlessly at the gray ceiling above. "Amaya," he said cheekily. "Nice to meet you, Inaya. Kind of a weird name."

His tease should have been apparent, but he could never be so sure with himself.

"I only flirted with him because he's going to make me a lot of money," he joked. "I can't give it out to just anyone, y'know? And, you wouldn't last five minutes out there without me. C'mon. Let's team up. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. We'll make it out alive, and then the world is your oyster. Or would you rather go back into slavery?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

Her eyes narrowed more so in his direction at his tone and tease. She didn't find this particular situation amusing. Likely he didn't think it so terrible because his literal ass wasn't on the line. If anything went too bad, he'd get some fines. Maybe a bit of torture. Death at worst. Inaya's hellscape was painted in chains and servitude, a life of choices not of her own and men she wanted nothing to do with.

Far worse, in her opinion.

While she wasn't about to admit that she needed him, because that would've put her in a precarious position, she shrugged one of her slender shoulders and began to idly comb through her tangled, long hair with her fingers. "I don't need you to get out of here, but it might be easier of we work together. Assuming you don't roll over at the first sign of trouble, like you did in the room." That didn't exactly inspire confidence.


@Elf Lady Love

[Lowen Thorn]

"The sly eagle doesn't kill at whim," he replied, mentally shrugging off her comment. "Besides, we were outnumbered back there. You got to know when to play your cards, and when to hold them. We're actually in a better position now than we were back there in that room."

Exhale.

Sigh.

"Okay," he said positively. The bounty hunter sat upright, and shifted around to face Inaya in the neighboring cell. "I have a few ideas to get out of here, but.." he trailed off, looking at her intently. "I think you may know this place a little better than I do. This is my first time in Essyrn, after all. What you got?"

First time in a foreign country and he landed himself in a cold, underground jail cell - next to a peculiar woman who didn't seem to be enjoying his company - ran by illegal slave traders.

Sounds about right.


@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Inaya rolled her eyes at his statement. Not having to stand around like decoration on display was actually quite liberating and being able to express herself made her a little more, well, expressive. Not like he could do anything to her anyway.

She held his shirt a little closer around her, if only because she was cold. When he sat upright and looked at her, she straightened some. They were talking about escaping, after all, so he had her attention. "I have a pretty good idea of the layout, yes," she answered, then indicated the lock with a wave of her hand without looking at it. "And I could pick the lock. I just don't know what... then." She meant the guards beyond. Inaya could probably fight one... if she got lucky, if she got something sharp... but those were a lot of ifs and that was all banking on there only being one or two, and that they didn't sound any sort of alarm.

Which, given that was how they'd gotten caught in the first place, she wasn't counting on that bit either.