Snippet #2717970

“Ye don’t have many nice words for yer old master do ye? Comon’ boyo. Nothin’” Penth smacked his lips.

“I’m free now.”

Penth spit the ground and guffawed as though he had heard the best joke of all time, “That can be rectified rather quickly.”

Huo wanted to burn the smug grin that remained after the laughter died, but he said nothing and did nothing. He could see plenty of Penth’s near clean teeth, which contradicted his memory. He recalled having seen the slaver with crooked teeth and festering gums. Perhaps, he thought, his mind clouded those thoughts due to years of serving Penth. There was no real love. The same could be said of Dhaxi. The Osu felt the same about all his slavemasters. He wondered if Niobe and the others came looking for him. However, his mind quickly silenced that thought. It was unlikely. They probably continued their way toward Seirkent. He didn’t expect them to return to find him. Most never did.

His head hurt as he tried to remember the events. He remembered that he traveled with the dwarf and the kaleth. They had made some significant progress into a land with no end, and thus no actual progress. He saw images of a giant creature, a giant outline in his mind. Then the thirst in his throat and the parches of his lips recalled him to his present moment. All of this culminated into a single distinguishing thought that revolved around escaping. He had to entertain a few words with Penth. The reunion felt uncomfortable. Yet, much had changed since they last saw each other.

“Seems ye’ve gone mute with yer new master?” Penth laughed, revealing the brown crooked rear teeth, “It’s a pity because ye would have learned to fight with me.”

The slaver glared at Huo before he returned to the others just around the canyon wall by the firepit which cast the shadows of the group for the Osu to see. The group chewed through the roasted game fish from their provisions. Huo wondered if he could burn his way through the chains. Though, he would have to attempt an escape to find out, but if that attempt failed then it would alert Penth to his former slave’s newfound powers. Huo needed to keep his abilities a secret. Secrecy was his advantage, that, and the fact that he wanted to see what his old boss was up to.

He felt a surge of the flow build and lit a brief flame in his palm, but then he extinguished the flame and waited.
Three of Penth’s comrades, filthy roughshod barbarians and bandits, armed with cleavers and scimitars approached the tied-up fighter and pelted a few fists into the latter’s stomach just to blow off some steam. Huo exhaled as he let the pain drum on underneath his skin. Then they untied him from the piton nailed into the canyon that the rope had been tied to. They retied his hands behind his back and walked him around the canyon wall.

Upon rounding the corner, Huo saw the various tents pitched around a center firepit where a piece of lamb roasted. He saw the various bandits some decked in armor and nothing else while others wore light and bright tunics with animal feathers and plumes sticking out of their helms. Others wore shemaghs that covered their faces save the eyes. He also saw several caged wagons where many captives had been chained and roped together. There were felidins, humans, tharonians, and epori captured.

Before he saw any further, a crushing blow hit the back of his head and Huo fell unconscious again.

Iyoka galloped on horseback until she reached the very same canyon. She dismounted and found the campfire pits had been extinguished. She wiped her fingers over the charred wood and inhaled whatever trace hints she could use to track her quarry. Then she remounted the steed and galloped off into the desert.