Bloodsong's Story

Kenner

Kenner stood outside the main door into the holding area as he looked down the hall and saw the familiar form of the cook Evix coming down with several of her helpers in tow. They were pushing three large carts of steaming food pans and one rather muscled one was toting a large pot in his burly arms.
Peeshka moved herself back inside with the slaves after her and Kenner exchanged only a few words.
She could see that few of the slaves were not caught off by the change in scenery, however nice the area was she knew there would be some problems with how this whole room was constructed and she would have to do something about whatever happened. She watched with a slight stare as one of the newly acquired human girls was participating in something with the Naga that Kenner took such a interest in earlier.

She could see the two were talking between each other and it was evident that the boon Kenner gave Nitha was paying off, so it would see either way that one of his plans was working.
Although it was not long till the sound of a commotion reached her ears and Peeshka turned her head to see the wolfen Bloodsong latched onto Quinns back with his teeth sunk into her flesh. Peeshka tilted her head as if to think that they would have the audacity to act as such in her presence. ~Stop!~ she shouted flatly, but the two kept fighting.
In turn Quinn reacted by turning and shouting for him to let go.

Peeshka had already wasted her breath once and now was matching toward the two with her heels making loud tapping sounds on the cobblestone. The two were almost spinning in place where Quinn had her hand on Bloodsong's throat and he was using his weight to try and get leverage, the spent blood of the moment was beginning to speckle the stonework underfoot and Peeshka lunged in with a three quick steps and she grabbed the dangling form of Bloodsong around the back of the neck getting a strong grip. Forcing her other arm around and hooking onto Quinn's side she pulled the two apart with small trappings of flesh and blood sent flying.
She kicked Quinn in the stomach sending her back into the edge of a bed and lifted the wild boy using her other hand to support him. She spun on a single heel and flung him clear across the room to land into the fountain, of which he almost doesn't clear the edge.

Peeshka takes a serious stance as she shouts again ~I said to stop..~ the voices of her being colliding in a more angered tone this time.

Attracted by the sound of the fight Kenner signals Evix with a finger for her and her helpers to stop while he goes inside, upon entering he sees that Quinn is down against one of the beds and Bloodsong is fighting to get afloat in the fountain. The fact that Peeshka is standing between the two of them was enough to let him know that they had been fighting and the open gash in Quinns right arm. For a moment he began to regret letting them have full reign of movement but he quickly passed the notion on as he moved on closer.
Peeshka straightened as he moved to her and he asked "What happened?"

She shrugged and paused her hands for a moment as if to say his guess was as good as hers.

He looked again at the two and then turned to yell out the door "Evix.." He put his hand on Peeshka's shoulder and brought his lips to the side of her mask. "If they try anything else, put them away."
He stepped up towards Quinn as he left Peeshka's side and looked down on the bleeding girl."I gave you a chance.. don't ever say I didn't. So I would suggest you be truthful with me.. what happened?"

Nix was released and started walking in circles again, as if something was wrong with her. She held the robe of Kenner as well and dragged it along in the circle she was walking. She did notice the fight between the two creatures but did not stop, instead continued in circles and circles, not caring she was getting dizzy and felt sick. She closed her eyes and continued walking.

The white feral hyena looked pretty messed up at the moment. Kenner was on her mind, confusing her with the actions he had done to her. That's why she was walking circles. She smelled the food, but it made her feel sick. She started speeding up her pace in the circle.

The taste of the woman's blood filled his mouth, only urging him to bite down harder. It was getting hard to breathe, but he stubbornly kept his ironjaw grip on that forearm. She'd started it, he'd see it finish.

Although what he hadn't counted on was that woman from earlier, the one that held some type of power of blackness. She was suddenly in between them and pried them apart with ease, despite Bloodsong's growls and snarls as he gnashed his teeth trying to get at the horned woman again.

He flew across the room and landed in water which caused him to be all manner of confused as he flailed to get to the surface, which he finally managed and he clambered onto the edge, panting for breath. His ears remained against his skull and his eyes were narrowed as he glared across the area at the horned woman as he licked the remaining blood from his lips. She tasted much, much better than the steak that was almost forgotten on the floor by now.


(Some reason it doubletagged Kenner. >:[ )

Quinn cradled her bloodied right arm, trying to stop the bleeding with her shirt, and glared at the beast from across the room. She knew that next time they crossed paths, she wouldn't hesitate to kill the animal. She had never liked dogs anyway.

It was intensely hard for her to control her anger now that the moment was over. She kept her attention on her wounded arm as she replied to Kenner, "It's that beast that has a problem. He's just like a wild animal. I don't know how I'm supposed to live among all theses creatures." Quinn stood up and looked Kenner straight into the eyes and said coldly, "That mutt attacked me when my back was turned. You should control the pets that you take in." She slipped past Kenner, but she paused when she caught sight of the woman who had kicked her in the stomach. Quinn walked up to the woman casually and said pleasantly, "Thanks, I appreciated what you did to me." She gestured to her sore stomach. Quinn leaned in closer to the woman, and whispered in a dangerous voice, "Touch me again, and I'll make sure that your heart stops beating."

Quinn retreated to a corner of the room to be by herself. She had wanted to clean her wound with the water from the fountain, but the mutt was still there. She leaned her head against the cool wall in an attempt to divert her attention away from the pain in her arm. She wasn't in a good mood anymore, and her hunger was long forgotten.

Kenner

Kenner looked at the two perpetrators of the fight, Quinn and Bloodsong were both still brooding over the incident and after she spoke to him it was hard for him to figure what to do. He had already grew to liking her over what had already happened but his angelic nature and her demonic blood were beating at each other in his mind to make sense of who to trust.
I all the time he had Bloodsong in his home the wolfkin had not openly acted aggressive except when accosted by the guards.

It was at that moment he took a few steps back towards Peeshka and spoke over his shoulder.
"Alright, show me what happened." the leather clad woman with her hands on her hips spoke back.

~How far?~ Kenner rubs his chin as he still keeps his eyes on Quinn, the fact that he was being lied to was still a lingering question on his mind. He thought for a minute until he had an idea.. "Right as Bloodsong entered the holding area." He stepped back and positioned himself at his seconds shoulder as she moved forward to where broke up the fight between the two slaves.

She did not speak, she merely looked at the floor as she knelt down on her right knee.
Rubbing one of her gloved hands on the floor she was tracing the small splatter of blood that the twos confrontation left behind. This continued for a few moments until she gathers a small amount of the refuse on her finger and stands with it still dangling from the tip.
In a strange turn she tilts her head back and plunges the finger knuckle deep into the eye socket of her mas, but there is no discomfort. No squelch of noise or burst of viscose fluid that flows, just her hand buried to the knuckle in the hole.

As she pulls out her finger the red blemish that was there before had come to be replaced by a heavy oily black drop of liquid and she immediately thumps it off to land on the floor. When it lands the the drop disappears into the floor with a dark puff of smoke and soon there were small strands of smoke racing out from that one spot, sending streams everywhere only to stop as quickly as it had begun.
All is silent, nothing could be heard save for the low sound of the running fountain water and then something begins to ring to ear. A padded set of footsteps coming from the entrance way, accompanied by a smoky figure somewhat reminiscent of Bloodsong's shape. It moved with his own animistic gate and stride cutting around several of the beds before coming to a squatted position not far from Peeshka. She crossed her arms, while she and Kenner watched for a few moments as the figure did some small movements related to eating and slow jerked actions of the head.

It was then that another smoky figure approached, its body forming almost out of nowhere and moving through Kenner own physical form without disturbing him.
It was easy enough to see who the form represented seeing as the horns were a dead giveaway and it only took a few seconds before it used its foot to pushed the other over. Though no words could be heard and no sound made, it was evident what was happening when the other turned to walk away and then was jumped from behind. The forms fought for a few moments and when the fight had gone on long enough Peeshka lifted her hand and with a snap of her fingers the forms dispersed into nothingness.

Kenner drew a heavy breath through his teeth as the anger of what had just transpired before taught him about his new addition. He looked at Bloodsong and then turned to look at Quinn.. "Care to rephrase your answer, before I have Peeshka put you two away?"

Quinn watched the anger on Kenner's face. She didn't know why he was so mad. The two had fought, so what? She wondered how different the culture was here, because where she was from fighting was common. You had a problem, so you fought. She remembered the first time she had a physical fight with a friend. She had been beaten, but not too long after she had went back for a rematch and left successful. Ironically, it had been the same boy who, years later, was the cause of her losing her powers.

Yes, Quinn had shoved the mutt, but she hadn't expected him to react the way he did. She didn't know why Kenner cared, since the mutt hadn't even gotten hurt. But She couldn't help but feel bad after seeing Kenner's reaction. It was like she let him down in some way. She then had the sudden need to be alone. She also wanted alcohol, and something hard.

She replied to Kenner, "Well I guess it's settled now. You have your answer. Good to know that there is absolutely no privacy here." It bothered her that the two doors that exited the room were both were barred off. She was in the mood to leave, but she seemed to be trapped inside the room. Since there was no where for her to go, she stayed leaning against the wall.

Kenner

The look on Kenner's face softened when Quinn replied, it was obvious that she was not used to this at all and he should have at least had patience with her to begin with. But she broke rule and it was not a simple one like fighting, if she had ousted herself about it before hand then the whole incident would have passed with little consequence.
But the fact that she lied to him was weighing heavily on his mind, he so hated being lied to and even in Peeshka's case it took some time for her to realize that it would be wise to stay truthful to him.

Kenner nodded his head as he swallowed back his pride and spoke.. "Fine.. you want privacy, that I can arrange.." He was silent for a moment after that and just stared the young girl down, he hated having to treat others like children. But no matter how old they are in nature the only one within the hall of Raven Loft closer to his age would be Peeshka herself and even she doesn't know how old she is.
Kenner clenched his fingers and help them over his shoulder as if to snap them and he turned his head to the side looking away from both the offending players in the short game and returned for he last time. "I am truly sorry for what is about to happen.. but you both brought it on yourselves." Even though he knew Bloodsong could not really understand what was happening or what he was saying, Kenner snapped his fingers as a signal to Peeshka.

The woman in red leather paused for a moment after his snap and then began to run her hands up her chest towards the center of her neckline. It was there that she revealed a small clasp just below the edge of her mask and when she undid it, the whole chest of her outfit began to unbutton. What revealed itself were not only two mound like protrusions that gave the semblance of breast, but also a long row of clasped teeth that extended from the base of the neck and traveled down past her navel. As she did this Peeshka's body moved as though she were stretching some muscle that had long gone without proper use and with a quick gasp of air the lining of teeth opened to form a large mouth.

The sounds of people screaming could be heard in the back of that great maw and as their calls echoed loader still tendrils of black oozing mass whipped out of the mouth and began to chase down the two slaves. Thought the first thought was to flee from the sight, the appendages were too many and too fast snaking around leg and neck, arm and torso.
Quinn could fight all she wanted but her higher strength afforded her little resolve as the dark tendrils pulled her closer to Peeshka. Even Bloodsong was not going to give in as he jumped with great height to escape but was snatched out of the air like a crippled winged bee in mid summer. He still fought however jerking and twisting, only when he sunk his teeth into the tendril around his left arm did he realize it tasted foul as mulled wine mixed with swamp water.

The two were dragged towards Peeshka's waiting jaws and as Quinn was being pulled up into the teeth she found that they did not pierces, in fact they feeling was soft and transparent like the touch of a brush. She still struggled however and when her legs were being consumed she felt no pain.
Nor did she feel anything, just a cold euphoria of sensation running up and down her legs like something was dancing toe to toe along her extremities. As she peered in should could not see through the darkness of what was inside and only when her waist was in did she recognize such a feeling, her body was being dragged in by the pull of dozens of anxious hands grabbing and groping to find hold and pull. She could only puzzle out the feeling as the rest of her body was jerked in and the Bloodsong was to follow, the same path the same sensations and with a practiced jerk of his legs the young wolfkin passed more quickly.

So now the two were consumed by darkness, an ever present void as with being there they found their minds becoming heavy and their bodies sluggish. Only when full suppression had overtaken them did they cease to fight the darkness and the state of unconsciousness befell them.

* * * *

Roldan looked at the young Neko before him and sighed as she made a good understatement of how she felt about her situation. Even though the she didn't speak he knew that she didn't like the idea of where she was and what was transpiring.
He gave her as best a soft smile as he could and looked to his guardsman.."Take her to the holding area, and make sure she gets fed.. I'll deliver the paperwork back to the office and file everything away." The two men at her side nodded and lightly took Persephone under the arms and walked her down the long hallway so they bring her through the master hall.

It was a short walk for them and the scent of food was beginning to fill the air as they got closer.
Persephone could see a group of people with food entering the room ahead of her from the other door, as she was lead in and released by the guards who slowly closed the gate behind her she could see the whole of the room before her. Peeshka had just finished closing her suit back up and the other slaves were scattered about the room.

It was at this time they could see Evix for the first time, tough most of her outfit covered her body her face was still plainly visible. The dark raven black hair that crested out from her head and the lightly greenish blue scales that covered her face were enough of an indicator that she was reptilian in nature. Her helpers began to ladle food into large wooden bowls and lay then on trays with loafs of bread. Another would place a large canter water on the side with a small bowl of fruit.
As they worked the room began to fill with the aroma of sauced meat and the spice of the broth tickled the nose.

Kenner was still staring at the spot Quinn occupied before the sound of the gate at the other end of the room caught his and Peeshka's attention. He looked at the young Neko walking in with the irons still on her wrist and smirked a small glance at her. Even though the past moments had gotten him down, he could still relish in the fact that it was only for that moment.
As he walked up to Persephone and looked her over he could tell that she had been living in rough conditions before being brought to him. As he reached down and took hold of her hands to lift them up he also undid the latching of her irons. The small bolts snapping easily with a little tug from his fingers, and they to fell to the floor disappearing into a gleam of light. "Go ahead and eat for now, you can breath easy now.. there is a home for you here." He did his best to comfort the look in her eyes, giving the top of her head a rub with his hand and caressing one of her ears as he did so.

He pointed out towards the kitchen staff as they were handing out trays of food to the other slaves.

One of them, a young girl layed out a larger tray with four bowls in front of Nitha as she lay on her warmer. The woman flashed her a nice smile before returning to her work and soon the whole staff was done with their duties and every one of them moved back out the gate after the food was handed out.

Kenner

kenner was standing there watching most of the slaves eat, while some looked at the food with some trial in their eyes others like Nitha got to eating. He was glad at least to see that everything would become slightly better and that he would most likely not to have Peeshka punish anyone else.
The thought crossed his mind as he looked back at the red clad woman.."How are they?" Peeshka turns her head to him and just tilts her visage a small bit as she returns. ~Oh there fine.. The girl is having some problems of her own and most of it is quite revealing to say the least.~ Kenner turns on her and walks closer as he places his head dead on her chest issuing a slight sound from the back of Peeshka's throat.
However with the mix of vocalizations it was hard to tell if she was enjoying the touch or reacting harshly.

Kenner stands there for a time and keeps his hand pressed firmly against her before speaking again.."Make sure they wake up soon.." He gives the woman a stiff look as he back away and lowers his hand.
He then spots a moment of tension in Peeshka's body and there was an urgency to react in her, which he stops with a small motion of his hand. "I see her.. go on and tend to your duties." She bows her head and steps backwards from Kenner just so he can whip around and snatch the hyena out of the air. Her feral form was far more stout then that of her human shape and in this instance it played against her. Whereas even though Kenner had more then enough strength to hold her aloft, his hand was not wide enough to cover her neck and so his grip was almost cutting into her throat. Obstructing her airway all the while he was holding on to her, Kenner began to shake his head in disappointment.

"I honestly thought you would have learned from earlier, however I do commend you for attack from behind despite the fact of how little a blind spot I have." There was a bubbling in that back of his voice, he had already hit a certain point in his nerve for today and it seemed that the same nerve was going to be tested for the majority of the day.
He hefts her higher over his head, bringing up one arm to stop the flailing of her clawed front legs.
"If you want to be an animal.. then fine, I will show you where animals go." He jerks the hyena closer and in that moment his exhale brings a sharp drop in the air and the two are whisked away through the ether, it was the same ability that he demonstrated with Quinn and the traversal of that plane was just as soft. However upon exit he did not hold onto the young shape shifter, the explosion of force sent her almost unconscious form careening several feet away on the now metallic floor.
He looked at Nix as she began to right herself and spoke "Here we are, the place for animal."
It was easy enough to tell for Nix they were no longer in the confines of a decent place, even before her eyes set sight on the area they were in it was apparent by the horrid smells and sounds that they were in a far worse situation. Her claws scrapped on the cold iron floor and the dim lights above illuminated showed her all she needed to see.
Nix and Kenner now stood in a massive holding area with hundreds of small individually packed cells crammed inside and within each cell was a ravenous snarling figure, each ranging in sizes and shapes to offend the gods.

Kenner motioned his arm to the cells around them and spun with a slight flair.. "Welcome to the Pit Nix.." He approached her and walked calmly with a sinister gleam to his eyes. "This is where all beast are kept, because they did not listen." The creatures around them ranged from all types of species, patches of fur and scale could be seen from the angle in which they stood and many stared hungrily at the new female.
Kenner stepped up to her and swiftly reached down and jerked her up by the cuff of her neck holding her sight at level with his. "These..creatures.. many of which were once in your position, are now destined for the arena in South Reach and it is there that they will die." He pulls her up and spins her around almost putting her face to face with another of the wolf breed strapped inside the cell nearby. Its eyes full of feral light and its almost fully exposed thanks to the missing portions of lip from constant nights of biting, gnashing, and ravaged howling.
It bears a massive steel latch around its neck and were it not for that piece of steel, it would have collided against the bars in an attempt to reach her.

Kenner throws Nix down and starts to grab at her body, snatching the muddied and torn robe ripping them from her form. "If you wish to act without civility or decency then you do not deserve to be dressed, nor trinkets or sentimentality's of the past." His strength was unfocused as he grabbed at her, taking small patches of fur in the wake of his hands. But as he did this there was an intense sense of pain emanating from him and as Nix caught sight of his face past the blurs of fabric and fur, she could see his eyes welling up with small red tears.
His hands stopped as all that he had left to hold was the sash form the robes and he held it over her head. "Your future is to die in the arena for the enjoyment of those bastards and the sport of the champions... is that what you want? He looked down on her with the look of pain still in his eyes and continued to shout at her.
"I offer you so much, a life free from the hands that stole yours.. a reality free from the shackles of what came before. The possibly to see and to know truth.. why do you still tempt me to such bestial acts?.. Tell me.. I said tell me.."

* * * *

The low feeling of nothingness that encapsulated the two bodies of Quinn and Bloodsong, was unnerving to say the least. As the two began to come to it was strange to feel nothing, no light, no flow of air, or sensation of a pulse.
Both awoke with a start, Quinn screaming into consciousness and Bloodsong snapping back to reality with his teeth bearing and throat barking out challenges.


it took several moments for the two to focus as they came out of their deadened state and they both quickly caught sight of one another. Both were almost entirely covered by some viscus oily gel and each was affixed to some solid structure. However what was more puzzling was the fact that there was nothing in this place save for them.
No light either and that was far more puzzling seeing that they could both easily see one another despite being almost ten feet apart.
Then a voice came from somewhere inside this world..~finally your both awake.. its so good to see your conscious, I was somewhat worried the shock would have stopped your hearts.~ it was the same chorus of voices that made up the sound of a mass of individuals speaking together in unison.

Bloodsong was alone in this alien darkness. His tail was swept in against his legs and his ears were flat back against his skull as he snarled into the darkness. His voice did no echo. Voices spoke, eerie, many voices; much like that alien women's voice. He couldn't discern what they were saying, the language was not his own and his only response was to snarl and bark dangerously into the dark.

Suddenly before his eyes he saw his home, his island, and his pack. Bloodsong missed them, and this sudden vision didn't help that fact. There was no dark past hidden inside him to be revealed, no nasty secrets, only him living his life on the large island. Hunting prey, fighting to prove his worth when challenged. All this made him do was miss home, and want to go back there; back to his life before he was taken.

Quinn felt emotionally drained from crying, and her body felt weak and cold. She now remembered that those side effects were some of the reasons why she refused to cry. The adrenaline she had before had all worn out, but she still found herself irritated at the woman's words. Peeshka's many child like voices rang through her head with their laughter

"That sounds boring, actually." Quinn replied to Peeshka. "I have nothing to tell you. I don't owe you stories of the past for your entertainment, and you have nothing that interests me." Even though she felt tired, Quinn was trying to regain her usual self. She didn't put much heart into it, and her voice gave away her exhaustion. "They're dead anyway, so I don't see why it matters."

Quinn's attention was caught by the confused animal like man. He was snarling in fear with his tail between his legs. All the anger she had towards him earlier suddenly disappeared. She only felt pity for the mutt. She didn't think that he could understand english anyway. "Isn't it kind of cruel to have him here? I don't even think he knows what's going on." She commented." It's not like he really did anything wrong. I was the one who lied anyway."

"Hey, mutt!" She called to the man, her voice gentle, and she didn't care if he knew what she was saying or not. "You'll be okay! Calm down, you will be out soon."

The voice of the woman who had shoved him earlier sounded off to his side, he hadn't even realised she was in here. Not that he cared, all of this blackness was her fault. She'd started something and he'd reacted how he naturally would, although the tone of her voice... It sounded less harsh than the first time she'd spoken to him. Almost soft, gentle... perhaps a hint of empathy?

Shaking the images of his pack from his mind, the wolfkin focused on calming himself down. Fear and sadness had no place here, they wouldn't help him at all. They made him weak, and he hated being weak. Taking a few long, deep breaths he slowed his fear and pushed his confusion away as best he could. Still, this place made his hairs stand on end and he had no idea how long they were going to be trapped here. Logic told him that this was meant to be a punishment for fighting which only confused him. Punishments were usually dealt with violence where he came from, the pups learned swifty to not cause any trouble or they'd get cuffed behind the ear swifty.

This just seemed like the alien woman wanting to torment them for her pleasure, to pull memories from their pasts and find out things to use against them. Too bad for her he had nothing to hide.

Kenner

Kenner stared at the standing Hyena, she had been along for the ride and he was still feeling slightly ill. Though he did know that such a feeling would not last long because his constitution would quickly return but he knew it would be unwise to continue abusing such an ability for the rest of the day.

He slid forward away from the table and began to right himself, it was fine for him to stand readily now but he could still feel the familiar knot in his stomach. Like he had just been punched and the muscle was still reacting.

Kenner's room was a rather large circular chamber with different section cut within the circle to add change of atmosphere for each piece. A narrow set of stair lead up to his center area where he and Nix currently occupied and it was around this large center piece that his room fanned out from. Each section itself was on a slightly higher platform then the center, his bed and its section being the highest of them all.
The largest one being his study which also contained his closet and reading chair accompanied with a nice tall lamp. It was in the center of this section the small desk holding his small crystal orb sat and it still released a small lite hum as it rested on the prop. The other room was a bath, complete with a draw curtain and a rather large square copper tub.

He looked at Nix for a moment before realizing that he had stripped her and now she possessed nothing to wear. She was barely dressed when she arrived and the first time she shifted it ruined the rags that her handlers had placed on her.
He motioned to her with a finger and made his way up into his study towards one of the closets three doors.
Keeping his back to her he began to rummage through the draws near the floor.."Again I must apologize, it has been a rather long time since I have reacted like that to anyone.. So I think the least I can do is give you something to wear.. ah ha." His voice perked up as he found a nice decorated box in the bottom of the closet, which must have been there for some time seeing as he blew a puff of dust off the top.

Stepping back down to the center area with Nix he knelt down and sat the box in front of her, opening the lid so she could get a look. "These are rather old and I must warn you they could be somewhat tight... it was always her style." Even if Nix could not directly get his reference, she could however the dress directly on top of the small stack matched the dress she saw in her vision after attacking Kenner.

Which meant that at one time these were Peeshka's. "Its alright.." He added.
"She was going to throw them away.. but I am rather sentimental about such things."

* * * *

The fact that Quinn was not willing to play along somewhat tempted Peeshka to a more direct action as she gave a soft turgid laugh..~Well you're no fun, if you don't want to play then you can't win the game.. and if you don't win the game then it will only get worse.~ Everything became silent as she started to contemplate what to do with her two guest next. Bloodsong was awake and he was still tugging at his restraints, while Quinn on the other hand has resigned to just wait patiently in her spot.
All the while this happened Peeshka's had removed herself from the holding area with the other slaves. Instead she was leaning against the wall of the master hall, with the footsteps of the guards to only keep her company.

It was then that she chirped with a small noise of excitement and realized a change of scenery was necessary, so it was only natural that the bonds that somehow held the two in placed started to loosen and they both began to question what was going to happen. Because where could then go, what was there to stand on?
If one looked down it was like they were staring down a vast deep crevice and the sensation for doing so was just the same, as if there were a part of your mind urging you not to jump or fall. But it was with that when the bonds holding the two slipped away and the force of free fall overtook them, Bloodsong and Quinn soon found themselves hurling down through the darkness with the sensation of the stale air rushing past them and the sight of an oncoming light below them.
Then as if being reborn to the world they both broke free from the darkness as their world gave way to light and they could see solid ground below them. The fall continued however, as if that was not enough it was the sensation of the oncoming impact that tensed up the muscles and made the adrenaline flow and only when they reached the ground did something happen.

Just before impact the two stopped almost dead in their fall, as if their bodies were consumed by an unseen flow of water and all the forces dispersed as they stopped nearly dead in mid air. That was until they both dropped suddenly as if the force just suddenly had the urge to let go.
But now instead of severe injury or death the two have a slightly sore nose and a mouthful of grass, or what they think is grass seeing as being in this place is taking almost everything at face value. Quinn and Bloodsong were now somewhere that was vastly different to the position they last occupied, it was a large stone dotted field with lush verdant grass growing every were. As they stood the wind blew softly and the air smelled of lush flowerbeds though none were present to be seen. But that was as far as their sight could carry, for not far from the hill they stood upon was a massive wall of roiling darkness. Like they were standing inside the body of a great storm and the eye within was their only sanctuary.

~So.. how do you like my little home?..~
The voice that accosted them from behind directed their attention to the top of the small hill, upon which sat a large plum tree with vast branches and silvery pink petals. The words came from the mouth of a figure sitting on a stone at the base of the tree and it was not Peeshka as they knew her that sat there.
Instead the form of a child, almost barely thirteen was sitting on the high stone perch with her feet swinging in the air. She was dressed in a light yellow sun gown that strangely enough was almost sheer in visibility and she held a flower in the cusp of her hands.

Though timid her vision was still off, her skin was almost paper white and it contrasted with her raven black hair. So black was her hair that if one stared hard enough their vision would go on forever to no end. The painfully pale features of her flesh made it obvious that she was most likely dead, as even her lips almost had no color at all and her eyes were glazed white with a damp silver iris. Her long hair framed her facial features as she sat there, with the bangs dragging along the sides of her body and passing by her knees.
The whole look she possessed was a glimpse at what Peeshka thought was a fitting image for herself, or for the least something to help ease the mind of others. The child still smiled on as her lips began to spread slightly as she spoke again.. ~This is my home away from home.. created from the shards of memories and even this..~ she tugs and the body with a free hand ~Is pulled from an aspect of the past..~

Quinn winced and sat up from the ground where she had fallen. "You are so lucky that I have a bladder of steel." She grumbled. Quinn was getting tired of all the life and death experiences that Peeshka was giving her. She wondered which new irrational fear would haunt her more, a fear of heights or fear of the dark?

Peeshka had brought them to a large field. The smell of fresh grass and flowers filled Quinn's nose, and she made no attempt to rise to her feet. Instead she stretched her legs out into a comfortable position and twisted the grass between her fingers. Quinn located Peeshka, who took the appearance of a young girl, and was seated under a plum tree at the top of a hill. The scene made Quinn feel uneasy. Peeshka not only looked like a young girl, but an obviously dead one. She wasn't sure how sane this woman was, but she knew that she needed to get out as soon as possible, hopefully with all her body parts.

"Everything is pulled from your past?" She swept her hand lightly over the grass, but her gaze stayed on the little girl. "You seem to be fixated with it."

Quinn dropped her back gently onto the grass and closed her eyes. She could feel the warm sun on her face and the gentle breeze lift strands of her hair. She wasn't sure if she was only imagining it all. She sighed peacefully, "Wow, I wish that I had this ability. Then I could always make it summer when I wanted. It wouldn't even matter that the rest of the world couldn't see it." With her eyes still shut, Quinn's tone became quiet as she asked, "Why is the little girl dead?"

Bloodsong landed heavily on the ground, face first into the ground with an audible thud. With a slightly pained and winded grunt, the Wolfkin pushed himself to his feet; staggering slightly. The fall had been terrifying, moreso once the land was visible. The longer this went on, the less it made sense to him. Sure, at first it seemed a punishment...

He wasn't so sure now.

A young human sat ahead of them, under some type of tree that was next to a strange small building. He'd seen a glimpse of such things on the trip here in the wooden device that rolled over the ground and was pulled by horses. She was speaking to the horned woman, who seemed to be trying to keep herself at ease; although there was underlying tension that he too felt.

The scenery was nice enough and the horizon seemed to call to him to run, to chase after the meeting of the sky and the earth that always remained out of his reach. His ear twitched as he looked down the hill then turned his attention to the two women, hoping to try and see some semblence of a hint as to what was going on.

Kenner

Taking a long look at Nix Kenner was somewhat surprised to see that she had a somewhat loose view on her nudity, but seeing as she had no real means to retain decency during the change he was alright with that.
The dress did fit her if at least it was a little tight around her midsection and he remembered that it was still missing a piece. Of course he knew that Nix would not really like the idea of a restrictive corset like the kind that Peeshka wore in the earlier years.

"Don't worry about tearing it too easily, Peeshka wore that over a hundred years ago and it seems the clothes she had on acquire a long term benefit from being worn." He walks around her slowly, tugging on the dress in some areas where it was tucked out of her reach to fix.
It still was a beautiful dress after all that time, its form covering arm and legs to drape elegantly. The only inkling of its victorian make were small streams of silken laced markings around the waist and arms. But the dress did have a lack of frills for that time, Kenner could recall the fact that they were desperately hated by its original owner.

After he was done looking her over, Kenner took a light hold of her arm and began to direct her down the stair with him.."I think its time that we get you something to eat and in bed, besides I have to save Quinn and Bloodsong from Peeshka. She tends to play with anyone that I have her hold onto."

They walked through the door together as they left the room, the door closing behind.

* * * *

Peeshka stared back at the two guest with unblinking eyes, she was starting to get annoyed by the aloof nature of Quinn's attempts at deflecting confrontation. It wasn't until that she asked why she looked the way she did that it opened an opportunity for Peeshka to speak again. ~Oh this.. I so do love to dress up and she has been gone for over a century now, so I don't think she minds." She hops off the rock and trots forward towards the two with flower still in hand and begins to slowly skip circles around them as she starts to pass.

~But yes.. I do like this place as it is, its one of my most fondest memories of the highlands.~

~As you can tell however, this world is mine and I am the sole ruler of its laws.. I can make the water turn to fog, the trees become as stone or even give you sulfur to breath and it is all easily within my power. She stop right at Bloodsongs crouched form and quickly gives him a pat on the head..~Nice Doggy~ her smile is sickly and crooked and then she skips off again without pause.

~No one in all my known time has beaten me here.. save for one.~ She stops on a small set of stones and begins to strike a pose, like a kid on the playground pretending to be a super hero, only to somehow get bored in the first few seconds and straightens her stance.
Placing her palms on her hips and looking down on the two before her she pouts..~But that is a story for another time.. and besides the only reason I look like this is because Kenner thinks what I really look like is too extreme for mortals like yourselves.~ Her face gains a quizzical nature to it as she begins to ask.

~I mean come on.. the last guy was just a no body and he has the audacity to tear out his own eyes just because of the way I look.~
It was becoming clearer that despite her outward appearance wearing that leather suit, Peeshka possesses a rather hectic minded personality.

Bloodsong watched the small human female skipping around, and he gave a warning snarl as she petted his head and spoke two words at him. Her smile was strange and he flicked his ears backwards a little in reaction, then she kept skipping around. His gaze turned from watching her, to looking at Quinn before looking down the hill again.

This world, was it real? If he was to run and keep running, would he be free?

When the two humans weren't looking, he broke away and dashed down the hill; the soft grass underfoot, the wind in his hair. He didn't look back, and made an effort to run as fast as he could to try to get away.

Quinn's eyes widened at Peeshka's last comment, and she replied quickly, "I would rather not experience having my eyes ripped out again, so I vote that you follow Kenner's advice and-" She was cut off by the mutt's sudden sprint down the hill. She had wanted to discuss a few of Peeshka's earlier statements, but they flew from her mind the moment the beast like man started running. Quinn was now sure at this point that Peeshka did not posses the most stable mind, and she feared what Peeshka would do to the man. Now that it was just her, the mutt, and Peeshka, Quinn felt the responsible for the canine's life. She jumped to her feet and charged after him.

"Mutt!" She called, her tone desperate, "Where are you going? Get back here!" She felt the amazing rush of adrenaline that came with running, and remembered how she had used to love it. The canine was very fast, and even though Quinn had always been top of her class in physical fitness, she was unable to gain much distance between them.

"If you come back I'll give you another steak once we get out of here!" She hopelessly tired to tempt him, even though he clearly could not understand her. She then decided that she now knew what it felt like to have a dog run away and have to chase after him. She also wondered why he hadn't automatically come with a leash.

As Bloodsong ran and Quinn gave chase, the small girl just stood and kept the calm collection of presents on her face. It was not like they would get far and they would only brake the veil if she allowed it.
The action came as if by cue, Bloodsong was still in full sprint as Quinn was slowly gaining on his heels and he came ever closer to the dark swirling mass of cloud like substance and he ran into it head long. To his surprise the feeling of entering such a obstruction was actually quite pleasing, with the feeling of soft smoke caressing around his body only to be let out just as quickly.

However as he passed through he found out to late that he was actually going back the way he came and he collided with Quinn, both their bodies knocking at the should in a last ditch effort to save themselves from injury. As they landed from the blow the small girls form was already on them as she stood parallel to where they fell.
~Oops.. I guess you both have to learn the hard way.. and believe me you don't want any of whats on the other side of that wall.~

Bloodsong found himself face down with his mouth chewing on small blades of grass once again from the impact, the little girl kneeling to stroke the back of his head as he lay there. She had the same sickly image of persuasion on her face as she had before and continued to play with the tips of his ears.
~I see, you really can't understand anything we say or do... But I saw you making some kind of communication with that other slave.~ She was mentioning to his ability to converse with slight gestures, which in essence was more primitive them she was willing to give a hand at.

~I may not have Kenner's tricks but I do possess ways to teach little creatures like yourself.. so brace yourself.~ She rolled him over with a strength that a body that small should not have and used her small arms to support his head, bringing it mere inches from her own. ~This is going to hurt.~
As she finished the phrase a dim light began to grow in the back of her mouth and then without warning a large beam of it shot from her mouth and eyes engulfing Bloodsong's entire head. The feeling was indescribable as this light poured over his face and he could feeling it physically seeping into his head, around his eyes and in his mouth. A feeling that set the back of his mind alight with searing images.

He could feel his arms fight to free himself as he began to grip at his tiny capture, tearing bits of clothing and white flesh as he fought. He managed to take hold of a long strip of skin and almost completely peel away the child right arm. What was left was an oily slick carapace under the flesh, as she held on and continued undaunted by what he was doing.
Quinn was able to catch the beginning of this as she sat up from the collision and she was met with the vision of Bloodsongs head being engulfed.
As this pain went on he could see something however, Bloodsong could see the lives of others pass before his eyes. Years of lives passed and he could see glimpse's of them all somehow touched by Peeshka's influence. Words and numbers ran rampant on his brain as he could still barely grasp the meaning.

But he heard something under it all speaking to him..~This will help you understand.. but it will take time.~ He could hear Peeshka's voice call and as soon as she stopped he felt the grip on his head release and the flooding light stopped.
She dropped him, and the burning sensation was passing despite the fact that his facial features were still somewhat smoking from the treatment. Peeshka turned to look at Quinn and smiled.. ~What?.. Do you want some knowledge to?~ She stood straight and began to fan her hair pulling it back past her shoulders.

* * * *

Kenner and Nix had reached the master hall and he was still walking with her, lightly holding her arm under his. She was getting sad for some reason and he could see that, she even wiped a tear away but being himself Kenner barely misses any thing that goes on around his person.
He gives her arm a nudge and a smile that follows suit.

Lifting his gaze from her he see's that Peeshka is standing almost dead center of the hall and staring back at the two of them, thought the visual on her expressionless mask isn't there she does have a tilt to her stance.
"I think you've had enough fun with them now, go ahead and release them." She almost instantly drops the serious stance and gives a lite stomp with a pouting noise.. ~But it was just getting fun.. that little demon girl isn't playing my game, but the wolf boy was becoming interesting.~

She gives a slight pause as she looks Nix over and points.. ~Is.. is that my dress?~

Kenner turns and looks Nix over being sarcastic in appearance to inspect what he already knows is fact, turning his face back with an equally sarcastic smile. "Oh you mean the one you haven't worn since 1623.. Just go and let them out, I can always buy you another one." She goes silent for a moment and then gives her head a nod to the side as if accepting his bribe internally and she walks back inside the holding area.

Quinn was startled when the mutt disappeared into the mass of dark clouds and suddenly came back out in front of her. The distance was too close for Quinn to get out of the way completely, and their shoulders collided. She found herself on the ground once more in pain. Her head hit the ground harder than she expected and her vision darkened for a few seconds. By the time she pulled herself together and sat up, the mutt's head was engulfed in a strange light. The mutt was shrieking in pain, and his claws were shredding the girl's arms. As Quinn watched in horror when it was revealed that under the girl's skin was a some kind of oily black substance. Her stomach turned as if to tell her that it wanted to empty itself. Good thing she hadn't eaten anything in several hours, because it would have been completely gone.

Finally when Peeshka had finished with the mutt, she turned to Quinn. The Question Peeshka asked Quinn gave an idea of what had just happened, and she was also given the feeling of being mocked. Quinn was not sure where to place this woman in her mind. This woman clearly enjoyed the sadness and pain of others, and Quinn wasn't sure how Kenner got this woman to submit to his commands. She was very dangerous, and had the capability to kill almost whoever she wanted. Why did Kenner keep her around? Theses thoughts led Quinn to Kenner. She knew what he was, but for the reason as to why he owned a business for selling slaves was also a mystery. She didn't think his kind would do that. Weren't they supposed to be the good guys?

He had told her that it would be hard for her to find out which type he was. What had he meant by that? Kenner seemed to have a long hidden past that was tied with this chaotic woman before her. Quinn had grown quite curious, but she tried to remind herself that it didn't matter, because it wasn't her business. Why should she care what had happened to him?

Quinn shook herself from her thoughts and replied to Peeshka, "If that's how I'm supposed to gain knowledge around here, then I would rather not know." She knelt down by the mutt and swept the smoking hair out of his eyes, and she asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Kenner

As Nix was being lead back into the holding area Kenner looked across the door at one of the kitchen hands to fix three other meals and bring them in. It was easy enough for the man to understand this being in no way the first time such an even has happened.
Slowly releasing his grasp from he arm Kenner made his way over behind Peeshka as she situated herself near the center of the room. He stood behind her looking over her should as he waited for her to continue.

The scene within was still going on as Quinn looked down at the still heavily dazed Bloodsong, she held his head up trying to get him to answer in some way. While the girl stayed several feet away from them both knelt on the grass.
He head straightened for a minute as she spoke back to Quinn..~Alright.. that's it, your time here has come to an end.~ She lifted her hand towards the two as they sat stationed on the ground and gave her fingers a lite snap.

In that moment the grass beneath them began to betray its own appearance as it became as quicksand, the sinking motion and euphoria of floating down was taking them over. Quinn was trying her best to fight the urge to save herself and climb up and even as Bloodsongs head was engulfed while she held on it caused a slight tinge of panic in the back of her mind.
Even as the feeling reached the side of her own ears it was still unsettling and adding to the feeling was the fact that something was grabbing at the base of her legs and pulling her deeper. Only until her head was fully encompassed did darkness take her again and she could not sense anything again.

Peeshka stood with Kenner behind her still and she undid her suit once again. exposing the black emptiness of the space where her chest should be. It took several seconds and the black oily liquid began to writhe as something was coming from within her and it shunted open violently expelling the two former prisoners with a slick wet belch that caused them to fall with a heavy thud on the floor in front of her.
The traces of her essence that clung to them began to work its way off their bodies and crawl its way back towards her, disappearing up the sides of her legs seeping in between buckles and clasps.

The kitchen attendant was just returning with his hands splayed open holding the three large platters, one which he gave to Nix as he entered and moved on with little pause in his step.
Kenner at this time had begun to pick up Bloodsong while Peeshka was handling Quinn.
The moved the two towards the base of the beds and propped them up against the foot boards to let them sit up. As the attendant put the plates down Kenner grabbed one and began to wave it under the noses of the two as they sat there.

"Alright you two, its time to wake up and eat.."