Liana’s life had changed much in for
years. She had been taken from her home, been put through hell at the
hands of her captors and the ones she would be purchased by again and
again on the Underground Markets, but somehow yet she managed to
survive. As she got older and got taller and stronger, she learned
various trades. Fence building, ditch digging, carpentry, and most of
all, defense skills were just a few of the things that she was thankful
to have learned in these long four years. It would be the last set that
saved her life and gave her a chance to escape. And sitting underneath a
dark and decrepit bridge, she recalled it with ease.
One night not so long ago –
approximately a week ago – one of her captors came into her cell drunker
than they get and looking for some physical solace. He had been denied
his share of loot from a recent raid and decided he would take his share
by taking the ‘job’ of one of the slaves for free. Oh and he was an
ugly sort – broken teeth, scars everywhere and fatter than an old sow in
heat. Liana realized that night that if she was to ever escape and
escape alive that she would have to use this situation to her advantage.
The only question was how.
“’Allo be-bea-hic- beautiful. Hows abo-abou-hic-abouts you and me have a little fun and get b-ba-hic-back
at the boss, eh?” Liana wrinkled her nose at the combined odor of rum
and days without bathing that was coming off the man in waves.
“I don’t enjoy this job any
but at least follow protocol. Where’s the fee?” She held out her hand
eagerly with her other hand curled up in a fist at her waist. The man
got angry at her demand and slapped her across the face, knocking her to
the ground.
“Who do you think you are, wench?! Your life is dependent upon this job and our kindness to you. This will be for free. The boss owes me!” It was then he towered over her.
Liana spat at the man. “I have heard no such thing from the superiors as per who gets a free ride.”
The last words made her stomach roll in queasy agony. With those words
said, the man leapt upon her, grabbing her throat and squeezing tightly.
“Little ones should watch their
mouth. I can end you with one real good squeeze. The boss owes me. He
denied me my share of the loot. I’m just taking my severance pay,” He
spoke menacingly through his teeth and as he did so, his free hand was
roaming down her body. Unfortunately for her, she had long passed
through the throws of puberty and adolescences so she had a body of a
full grown woman. Tears were forming in her eyes from the pain and lack
of air. If she were to escape, now would be the time. With one good jab
of her knee into his groin, the man fell to the side of Liana gasping in
pain. She took the opportunity to use the vial she had been hiding in
her hand the entire time. On a recent trip to the sales, she had come
into possession of a small vial of sleeping potion. And for her sake as
well as the seller’s, she prayed that it would work. So as the man was
on the ground in pain and shock, she leapt on top of him and tried to
force the vial down his throat. He managed enough strength to fight her
with one hand but with a good stomp of her foot into his groin it
disappeared, clutching his manly area in pain. This gave her an opening
in which to dispense the vial into the man’s system and wait. It was
within a matter of minutes in which the man was asleep soundly on the
floor of her cell. She stuck her head out of the door, not seeing anyone
around and chose that moment to flee.
It has been seven days since that
night. She was exhausted, her clothing was tattered and she was nearly
starved to death. For some odd reason, she had found her way back
towards her old house. Even now after four years she could still recall
with almost certain clarity the location of the house and every path
that could lead there. So it was there she chose to go: back to her home
and the village in which this all began. Liana, who was constantly
watching over her shoulder, still had the odd feeling that her escape
was too simple – too easy. Almost like she had been let get away
purposefully. What she didn’t know was that she was indeed right. A
black hooded shadow trailed her silently in the night, just far enough
away that she couldn’t see him but close enough he could still follow
her. This figure was in search of a book which was black, dusty,
leather-bound, falling apart, obviously far older than anything anyone
in this lifetime had ever seen before and marked with one simple gold
symbol on its spine. And he knew she had once had it in her possession.
And he knew that she was going to lead him to it. So in the night he
trailed her to just outside Brightvale to a small farmhouse long ago
abandoned, its owners murdered and their daughter taken away. As fate
would have it, their daughter would be coming home and she was bringing a
guest with her.
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