A Refreshing Excursion to the Wildlands (Tarot & Satu)

[Tarot]

"Perhaps because it's not a question after all," Drainira answered Satu's outburst with something vaguely akin to serenity, had the Konti not known that everything about the golem was fake. "You are already changing, evolving. I will make something splendid and fearsome out of you, Ms. Satu. A vanguard of change."

But for the time being, Satu had made her choice and it wasn't Drainira. When she announced to the guards that she had chosen them over the golem, the assembled throng of men burst into laughter. Drainira tapped her foot on the floor with a blank expression on her face, and suddenly all sound ceased. "You heard her," the golem spoke to the guards, "I am going to oblige her. Do what you will, but make sure her body does not lose functionality. If her sensory, motor or high-level intellectual functions are harmed in any way I will hold you all responsible. Remember, gentlemen; you are about 1250% easier to replace than she is."

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have some more learning to do with Ms. Danna," she smiled, pushed the bound Konti towards the guards, and closed the doors to her room. Some of the men sighed in relief, and immediately laid their hands upon Satu, forcing her to walk back to the dungeon. The guards' high spirits soon returned to them, and they were not shy about commenting on the Konti as if she hadn't been there. Her anatomy was discussed at length on the way back, with more than one man curious about the scale patterning and its positioning 'down there'. Satu didn't get a lot of the jokes that flew around, and that was probably for the best.

It was exactly as she had feared. They brought her back to her cell, and established a pecking order according to rank and status; the guard leader with magical powers who had first spoken to her went first. This nameless man was the one that took Satu's flower; the pretenses of anything romantic were cast away after about three kisses and ten seconds. He forced her against the bars of the prison and took her without a second thought. He was heavy-handed, but knew exactly how not to cause damage aside from temporary bruises. No amount of crying or pleading would deter this beast. His aura took on feral colors previously unknown to Satu, colors she would never forget.

Then there was another man. And then another, and another. By now, Satu could barely tell when one was finished and the next began. No-one came to save her. Her screams, if any, went unlistened and ignored. She would never know how many hours passed, or even how many men had partaken of her. When they left her, she was merely a trembling bundle on the floor of her cell. A platter with an ample amount of food and water as well as a basin of clean water to wash herself had been provided, if only so they could start over the next day.

They returned after a while, tossing Danna into her cell and leaving. The woman was wounded - cut in multiple places. No wonder even the guards hadn't found her attractive enough for their attentions.

"S… Satu?" the mercenary slowly pulled herself up. "You still alive, girl? Gods, that piece of shyke practiced my own bladework on me. We… we need to get out of here. I managed to steal a hairpin… and I've learned a couple things about this place. Can you stand at all?"

OOCSorry for the rather crude post.

[Satu]

Across a great expanse Satu heard Danna’s voice talking, but the words failed to register their importance in her awareness. The adjoining bars of the cell propped the Konti up as she leaned against iron coldness, staring at legs splayed out on the floor before her. Bruises, black and ugly already circled her legs, creating a hypnotic pattern as the mottled colours intertwined with Laviku’s scales. Her own voice distant, she said, “I seem to have misplaced my shoes…” and then her shoulders shook involuntarily, the small motion travelling down her arms to her still bound wrists behind her back. The wrists were horribly raw and bloody from her struggles, but she appeared not to notice.

The next words came low and whispered, “I should have said yes, Danna.” Satu paused, confused, “Why did I not say it? I, I can not recall…” Her mind floated inward. “Rewards. She said there would be rewards. That would be good, right? Better than what happ-” she hesitated, her mind refusing to go there. She was talking in circles, and she couldn’t stop. “I could do it. It wouldn’t be so bad…. She said it would be easy.” A subtle tremor climbed up her spine to shake her head, “Why didn’t I?”

Her thoughts jumped and spun like a child’s top, the subconscious mind refusing to slow and focus on any subject for too long. There was no end to its mad rotations. “They, they didn’t come.” Satu told Danna, sounding surprised. “I thought they would come by now. They must be terribly worried… I missed dinner, they expected me for dinner.”

“And now… Now? Look what has happened!” Her voice rose shrilly and she finally looked up at Danna accusingly. “How could I fight? They have taken my weapons! And my hands, my hands are-” and it finally registered that her hands were still bound after all this time. “I can’t feel them.” Her voice dropped again suddenly as she jerked the wrists violently in an effort to try and loosen the bindings and feel her hands again. She only succeeded in crying out as the restraints bit into her broken and welted skin even more. “And my suvai, my beautiful suvai, lost too! Would that I had had them to-”

Brutal, vengeful thoughts filled her mind, but went unspoken as they birthed a new set of tremors throughout her body. Cold blue eyes stared at the mercenary, and dried streaks of tears previously shed snaked down Satu’s dirt streaked face, “In my Heart, I feel it still. Viciousness and Cruelty and Foulness! All are inside me, encircling my senses! My Heart is weighted with their taint. The colours are all wrong!” Her head shook, bouncing the heavily knotted hair, any sign of its original, elegant bun long gone. Only one or two strips of blue ribbon remained, but those few hung from the hair haphazardly and appeared worn and frayed.

Out of fear, Satu ultimately chose the known over the unknown, men over machines, and emotions over cold intelligence. Had she but understood the full magnitude of emotions the men harboured she would have chosen much, much differently. Animalistic and cruel forces existed within the men’s Hearts and the Konti was now witness to this tragic shadow world firsthand.

“Who would wish to harm a Konti?” she asked the bruises. And the room supplied the answer in her mind: Many. Many would if given a proper chance.

Standing was difficult and it was only her previous trainings that allowed her to find some semblance of balance. Even then it took her many tries to remain upright. A lump in her throat threatened her and she stood swaying above her cloak that had fallen soon after returning to the cell. Satu stared at it suspiciously as if it was a living, aggressive thing.

Satu’s brain attempted a return to normalcy, but her HeartSense was besieged. The prolonged Anguish and Agony she felt had overwhelmed the sensitive vessel. And now as the tremors and the aches and pulsations of her body continued and mingled with Danna’s Pain, the Heart received no rest. And the chaos in her mind held.

[Tarot]

Danna did not interrupt Satu's outburst, even though a big part of her would have wanted to. From the very start she'd viewed Satu as one of those whiny out-of-this-world Konti who were in desperate need of a reality check. It appeared that Satu had received hers, but it didn't make Danna happy. The mercenary actually felt sorry for Satu - she just felt it was a lesson she had to learn. "Satu, listen to me for a minute, okay?" she said in a urgent whisper.

"This is how the world works… the strong take what they want from the weak. It's not always that way, but often enough that you can't just turn your head the other way and pretend not to see it. There is pain and suffering and cruelty and bad things. It's everywhere. Why do you think I took up arms and sold them for money? It's dog eat dog, girl. But let me tell you two things there..."

She leaned against Satu's cell as far as she could and continued slowly. "I thought you were a weakling when we first talked, but seeing you turn that bitch down was quite badass in its own right, y'know? You are stronger than you look. Stronger than you know, maybe. And the second thing is, it's okay to be angry. Don't you ever feel guilty about that. It's not an evil thing. If anyone went through what you did and didn't feel pissed off, I think they'd have some major mental issues. It's okay to feel like making them pay. It's okay to make them pay. We call that justice around here."

Danna pushed herself back and Satu saw that she was doing something with her arms. The girl grimaced and popped her shoulders out of their sockets and back in, her arms passing over her head. Her hands were in front of her now. "I still know a trick or two." She spat a hairpin out of her mouth and began fiddling with her handcuffs, still whispering while she picked the small lock.

"So, I've been overhearing the guards. This isn't Mizahar. We were taken through a portal to another world. The good news is that the portal is probably being kept open all the time by a wizard, probably more. Not sure if you know much about Summoning, but you can only open a portal from Mizahar, not from here. Drainira wouldn't risk getting her access to Mizahar cut off, as it could leave her stranded here forever. If we find the portal, we've got our ticket back to freedom. If we kill the wizards while we're at it, we may even trap the golem bitch here for good."

A grin spread across Danna's battered features as the soothing colors of anticipated vengeance filled her soul. "I'm pretty sure your weapons are not far from here. Think about it, Satu. She offered you to be her errand girl. Obviously she'd have returned your things had you said yes. Ten Mizas says they're in the next room." Something clicked and Danna's handcuffs fell down with a satisfying metallic sound. "Oh yeah, baby. Satu, put your wrists against the bars so I can free you, too. Care to share any ideas for our grand escape?" Danna was acting with the confidence of a seasoned survivor, but she was well aware that Satu would have to help her out if they were to get out of here alive. If needbe, Satu would have to do a lot of growing up, and fast.

[Satu]

The mercenary talked and Satu listened, her weight heavy against the cold bars. Danna’s words floated around the Konti like dandelion wisps in a breeze. A few sentences here and there managed to land within her awareness. Dana said: The strong take from the weak. And without thought or judgement Satu’s mind added: and take and take and take and… Danna said: Pain and suffering and cruelty and bad things. And Satu silently observed these things as interlopers now residing within her own self. They were there, uninvited guests she did not know how to make depart.

Danna pressed her face near Satu’s and the mercenary’s whisper puffed softly against her skin. Trembling at the touch, Satu turned, only to stare at Danna’s face with its cuts and lacerations. The Konti repeated again harshly, “They take and take and take.” Was Satu even listening? But Danna said: Stronger than you look. Stronger than you know. It’s okay to make them pay. And Satu blinked and turned stoically to watch her companion attempt to pick the lock on her handcuffs. The outcome mattered not to the Konti, neither did their release; not in her present state of mind.

But she found herself repeating after Danna, “Find the portal. Kill the wizards.” The idea intrigued her. Satu had never truly raised a weapon in anger, let alone killed anyone before. Any blood spilled had been by accident, never as a means to end a life. A wicked desire crept into her Heart; guiltily she looked to see if Danna had taken notice. She wanted to! She wanted to be the one to take! The desire continued to swell; she wanted someone to fall under her blade, by her hand! Shudders took her awareness as the force of her own violent emotions gripped her Heart.

The words continued and the Konti’s mind froze. “Trap the Golem…” Trap Drainira? Satu’s thoughts spun in confusion as she tried to still the whirling fragments. That machine was the instigator in this terrible drama, she deserved what she got. Avalis knew she deserved it! But Satu in her confusion also saw Drainira as a kind of protector against the men that had used her so badly. If Satu had only said ‘yes,’ Drainira would not have sent her to them. She would have given her rewards instead of… of… That terrifying ordeal never would have happened! If Drainira had commanded it, Satu was convinced, the men would have stopped. The HeatSeer puzzled over these thoughts trying to find truth on the cloudy, unclear path in her mind.

“Have you have seen my suvai?” Satu stood straighter, looking towards the unseen room as new thoughts replaced the old. Her face almost became animated. It was the first time the Konti was transparent with her emotions since the men had left her cell. Tears filled the SuvaiFighter’s eyes and her hands fidgeted. To hold them! To feel them! That was consolation that gave her belief the world might yet return to normal.

“I can fight. I am trained.” She said ominously in reply to Danna’s question, and her voice filled with an unstable vehemence. “They can only think of me one way now. Weak and helpless...” Satu closed her eyes; the rest was forced from her lips, “It would be best if they continued to believe it is still so. I will act the part if we run into them. And when it is too late, and they are too close… I will show them I am neither pathetic nor unskilled.” A deadly seriousness clung to her words, a tone that Danna had not heard Satu use before.

The next words were pointed directly at her companion, “I am no idle plaything, Mercenary. Do not concern yourself with me.”

“Now take them off!” she uncharacteristically demanded, putting her hands through the bars too quickly. Accidently, one tortured wrist struck against the metal. Red Hot Pain filled her hand and her vision, but Satu did not care. Emotion upon emotion from the day threatened to smother her even now. Heady and oppressive, the pressures on her Heart were too intense. Except this moment, Satu had a focus. The suvai!

Waiting for the release of her hands, the Konti, said, “I wonder if you will be thrown into a wall this time…” Danna would not be able to see the remoteness that filled Satu’s blue eyes as she looked across the room, thinking about her suvai.

[Tarot]

Danna went silent, slightly slack-jawed from hearing Satu's new tone of voice. She knew what the Konti had been through, but she hadn't been there to bear witness. It must have been even worse than the mercenary could imagine. Frankly, Satu sounded like she was about to lose it, and it sent a cold shiver down Danna's spine. Getting a kick out of killing one's captors was one thing, but she feared for Satu's sanity now.

Yet Danna was no healer of the mind. Already she regretted talking to Satu the way she had. The girl was unstable to say the least, and yet she was needed for the escape. Danna just hoped the Konti would not end up jeopardizing the plan; even mercenaries turned down recruits who couldn't tell pleasure from business.

"Whatever," she just shrugged. "Just don't be reckless. And the same trick ain't going to work on me twice." Danna wondered how much she really knew about Konti in general and Satu in particular. As the tortured white wrists touched the cold bars between the cells and she began picking the lock on Satu's cuffs, the woman spoke no more, afraid that anything she may say would only make things worse. Never mind that curbing Satu's instincts would sound horribly stupid and hypocritical, coming from her.

It did not take long, now that Danna's own hands were free. Soon, Satu felt the cruel metal slip off her wrists, and her hands were free to roam again. The mercenary did not waste any time and immediately set herself to unlocking the cells. These were not any harder than the handcuffs, and soon enough both women stood outside the cramped square area that had held them for a while.

Danna walked up to the dungeon's door and made it slightly ajar to peek through the diminutive slice of visible corridor. She gave a nod to signal that nobody was around. The fortress was severely understaffed, so they wouldn't waste manpower on guarding supposedly secure cells. Danna snuck out with silent, feline steps and carefully opened the first door to the left. A grin surfaced on her lips and her aura danced with dark glee. "Who's the seer now? I told you they were here."

And indeed, they were. If Satu followed Danna, she would find herself in a storage room filled with shelves of equipment. The mismatched nature of the items showed that they came from many different sources, most of them stolen. Satu's suvai seemed to shine and glow slightly at her sight, as if welcoming her home. The rest of her things were here as well, and Danna recognized her own gear, donning her hardened leather armor and adding half a dozen assorted blades to her person.

[Satu]

Metal handcuffs now gone, Satu held her dirt stained palms inches from her face. Unnameable grime filled each little depression and line, and she attempted to follow the trail with her gaze. Turning her hands, she studied the patterns coating them. A few fingernails even held what appeared to be dried blood underneath. “Not mine, not mine!” she whispered to them, as a slight tremor shook her hands.

The Konti ignored Danna, as the mercenary worked behind her to unlock the cells, choosing instead to retrieve her cloak. Its dark, green fabric lay crumpled near her bare feet where a guard had tossed it after ripping it from her shoulders. Bending to grab it, Satu’s balance faltered and one arm reached out to steady herself, while the other hugged the garment closer to her body. The still rational part of her mind noticed the cloak clasp, shiny in the dim light, now pressed close. To her surprise, it was still connected and functional even through its rough treatment.

“Such a pretty thing for a cold, foul place…” She said, staring at the clasp.

With no warning and without conscious thought, Satu mentally felt the Chavena opening to her, without the focus of her Divination skills. Startled, the Konti followed her Sight blindly into the Vision beyond herself. Strands of chavi surrounded her. Coloured patterns of personal histories changed as the gossamer filaments churned with actions of the past, present and future. One particular strand drew her attention and Satu recognized the dark eyed man who had torn the cloak off her back. Her eyes widened as a portion of his past rocketed into her mind. Satu’s head twitched once.

His eyes had sought to claim her. Eyes, clear and recognizable. Pitiless and unfeeling he had also claimed others, many times over. In this same cell, the same horror. Satu watched and observed. And in anguish, she witnessed his menacing eyes shine with cruelty. Each new conquest, each horrific part played, each time a new face. She saw screaming and crying, had she done the same? Transfixed on his dark and dreadful past, she watched. His hand reached out, palm open. A brutal heavy handed slap connected, with someone. Snapped out of her reverie by the force of it, Satu felt the established threads of the past fade from her awareness.

As quickly as the Vision flowed into her consciousness, it took only a moment to witness and then, just as quickly it was gone. Satu, caught in a haze somewhere between past and present remained unfocused for a minute. He had done it before. And she knew without question, many of them had. Satu covered her face roughly to block out the guard’s ugly past, but it was etched into her brain. It wasn’t supposed to work this way! She was supposed to ask for Visions! No one could be prepared for this! But it was accumulated stress and shock that brought the unfortunate Vision to her tortured mind in the first place.

One turn towards Danna and the Konti saw the cell door open. With shaky hands, Satu fastened the cloak around her neck. She held her head high, but the weight of her experiences felt dangerously heavy. The mercenary led the way into the corridor and to the next room. Satu watched as Danna’s aura filled with dark delight at finding their belongings. The feeling nudged her Heart, and the HeartSeer felt the same darkness build within her.

“You are not a Seer - ,” Satu replied in a low voice, missing the jest in the mercenary’s words. She was about to say more when she saw what was located in the small room. Suvai! Pushing her way into the storage room, Satu reached out and cradled the twin weapons to her Heart. As the whale bones filled her hands, a sense of security filled her being and the Konti was reassured that she was now alright. But she was not.

“I am a suvai fighter.” She said loudly enough for Danna to hear, though she spoke the words for herself. The familiar weight lay in her hands as her fingers tightened around the well-worn hilts. Satu’s focus narrowed. The intent in using those trusted blades felt distorted and warped. The suvai had always been a symbol to her of inner balance and peace in motion, no matter how deadly that motion could at times be. Opportunity had changed the meaning of the symbol, and at the same time, changed her. The suvai now meant something much different.

With practiced ease, Satu belted the small, twin holsters on her hips and grabbed her backpack. Danna donned her armour, there was more of it, but Satu wanted none. She was unused to such things; added heaviness would only slow her movements. And she dearly wanted to be able to move as swiftly as possible should any guards come their way. She debated on taking an extra knife or dagger. In the end, it was her Sight that decided her. “I will not have those other weapons touch my skin!” she proclaimed to the mercenary, eyeing the number of blades Danna now carried. Satu wanted no reminder of the women she had seen in her vision carried on her person. “If you only knew…” But she stopped, her eyes took on a wild flash, but she would speak no more.

Emotions churned within the HeartSeer, she felt she would suffocate. In an attempt to shutout the chaos that threatened to fracture her senses, Satu retreated inward. Her mind replayed the sorrowful path to Drainira: the Wildlands, the cell, the procession to the Golem. The long and stony corridors, under construction… The corridors! A picture appeared in her memory.

“Danna?” Satu whispered, “Danna, I remember signs… Signs in the corridors. With directions. Do you remember? It was when they took us to... Her.” Satu closed her eyes, trying to see the signage amid all the wreckage in her mind, “We just have to find them!”

[Tarot]

"Riiight," Danna replied, slightly taken aback by Satu's sudden comments on the other weapons. The mercenary had completely given up on understanding the Konti and her instant moodswings. She supposed it was a part of seeing things not meant for mortals: you ended up slightly crazy, yourself. It was true, however, that strands of despair clung to many of the blades; Satu could smell tears shed by others who came before her. It hadn't been a long time - only months - since this place had been returned to life, but they surely hadn't been wasting any time. Opportunity was growing by leaps and bounds, driven by a mind that was preternaturally good at this. A mind built to oversee.

With her suvai back in her possession and vivid flashes of things from the past, Satu would begin to realize that something had changed with her Sight. Just looking at Danna's colors was enough; they felt deeper, richer, and swirled with a familiarity previously unknown to the girl. It was almost as if the cruel ordeal had taught Satu the true meaning of many more colors than before, making her HeartSight deeper, sharper, better. She had to experience those emotions herself for such a thing to happen.

"True," the mercenary nodded matter-of-factly, "the signs. Hopefully they'll help us locate the exit." The woman sneaked out of the room, signaling with her hand that the way was clear. The corridors felt empty, though it was unclear whether Drainira was simply understaffed or she had sent out most of her followers on missions, perhaps to enslave more innocents like Satu. Every now and then a window let them enjoy a view of the surrounding mountains in the fading light. The peaks were sharp and unforgiving, and Satu felt the timing wasn't right. Had this been Mizahar, the sky should already have been dark. Days were longer on this world, and the Konti could catch a glimpse of several moons of various sizes and colors. An alien world devoid of familiar things. The ideal place for brainwashing someone.

A sign recited 'Summoning station', and Danna grunted her satisfaction. She led Satu down a long corridor. They had to find a hiding place a couple of times to avoid being spotted by the random patrol. They couldn't tell how long it took them, but it sure felt like an eternity of walking with just their breathing and heartbeat keeping them company. The corridor ended with a door. Danna swung it open, eager to get out of this cesspool of a planet.

They found themselves in a circular room without any furnishing. In the middle of the room was a large circle drawn on the floor and glowing with crackling blue energy. The floor inside the circle was warped with a see-through effect, as if it were the surface of a pond. Flickering images of another place swam beneath the circle. Home. This portal was their way home.

However, five men stood in the way: the guard leader, and four more. Satu knew them all, for they had all tasted of her. The dark-eyed leader let out a malicious, hollow laughter. "So that's why She sent us to guard this room. And here I thought it was a punishment! She really is something, isn't She? She simply keeps shaping you until you are just what She wants you to be." It seemed that their escape had been not only anticipated, but even encouraged.

Danna's reply was the sound of a blade unsheathed. She gritted her teeth in the understanding that she never found the hairpin. Drainira let her have it.

"We can kill the swordswoman, but keep the Konti alive," said the man. "Good, I was starting to feel a bit lonely anyways," a guard chimed in, flashing a hideous grin at Satu. The leader stood behind, letting his men do the work for him. Three started to approach Danna, while the last man to speak targeted Satu, not even bothering to draw his sword on the poor, innocent, defenseless Konti.

[Satu]

Satu felt the guards before she saw them. Their Malicious laughter chilled her spine while Malevolent emotions saturated the room in an oppressive inkiness. Sorrowfully, she recognized the Depravity that had touched her in the cell. It became hard to breathe, and with her heightened HeartSense, the feeling was even more unbearable. For the first time she clearly saw what her previous naivety might have dismissed. Now she knew the actions that lay behind the feelings and there was no time for her to acclimate herself to the increased awareness. Satu now saw others more intensely than she had ever before and with these men, the knowledge was too depraved, and heavy, and consuming.

The force of it knocked her back a step, though the guards would likely assume it was fear of them that made the Konti falter. It was partially true; these were the first guards to take her, to set the stage for the others that followed. Theirs were the only faces she truly remembered. Each face, each line, each scar, each emotion she powerfully remembered. Horribly, they were all imprinted in her mind and on her Heart. Shock at seeing them again registered on her face and her body froze, all except her head which shook white stranded hair back and forth slowly across her face. A silent ‘No’ formed on her lovely mouth.

“Please no Visions…,” she whispered to her goddess, in lilting, soft Kontinese, in fear that Avalis might choose to show her more of these men’s past.

Danna had led them here, to the Summoning Station. They had almost made it! Behind the guards, she could see it so clearly before her. Home! That was Home! There in that circle, where her eyes travelled now. A portal... The Konti remembered the other circles in Drainira’s chambers. Crackling blue lights amid a crackling energy field... Could she throw herself in and be gone from this nightmare? Bravado gone, she was so afraid!

Her hands pleaded where her voice could not. Palms lifted and shaking at chest level before her, they rose to the guards, as if the tortured wrists alone could stave off their hungry desires. It was no act. Her body simply responded, remembering only too well its treatment at the hands of these men. One sob sounded through the room, and silent tears slid without notice down her red cheeks. Danna would be disappointed, but Satu held no thoughts for the mercenary at this moment. She was plagued with anguish that she would not survive another round at these men’s hands.

But the leader was speaking and Satu did not fully comprehend what he was saying, “She simply keeps shaping you until you are just what She wants you to be.” What did that mean? Satu thought she should know, but the words only confused her.

One thing became certain in Satu’s fragile mind though, “Drainira knew, She knew…,” Satu whispered to the others in the room as if no one else truly understood what was happening. “It was planned all along, and She planned it.” The pieces were falling into place, one by one as something slid sideways in her mind. Satu’s head twitched and she felt another unnameable change within. The guards tainted auras continued to invade and twist the HeartSeer’s awareness. The Konti felt newer stronger emotions build to match theirs and a part of Satu embraced it; swirl by ugly swirl as it built and her own thoughts progressed down an unstable pathway.

The Konti’s mind caught in the deep current, swirled about her then stopped suddenly. From this place of imbalance, Satu realized something else… Drainira was giving her these men! It was not the other way around and the guards did not even know it. Was it an offering? “She desires me to do something,” Satu told the guard walking toward her, unaware she had switched back to her native language, and that the guard would probably not understand. Satu looked hurt and scared, but her words were strong as the new knowledge warmed her and novel and deadly notions crept into her mind.

Satu hugged her arms tightly around her waist. Her torso folded down, withdrawing her energy from the room. Dropping one knee to the ground, she let her head bow as well. To others it might have looked like a misguided attempt to protect herself. But in actuality, without the crossed arms, the position was similar to a Suvai Intermediate Stance called ‘Salutation to the False Matriarch’: On bended knee, with lowered head, one learns to yield for a time…

A fall of unruly, white hair covered her face and hid the detachment surfacing in the depths of her eyes. She watched his feet approach and waited, fingers tips caressing the hilts of her hidden weapons before pulling them slowly into her grasp, while her cloak covered the wicked intentions of her hands. But the ‘lonely’ guard, she was sure, was not looking at her hands. For each step brought his foul emotions and intentions closer to her, sickening her. He had not even bothered to draw his sword. Fool! She thought. You were given to me! Her body still shook, but this time, it was not from fear, but in anticipation of what needed to be done.

[Tarot]

The man approached Satu carelessly while his comrades circled around Danna with much more forethought. She taunted them with loud insults directed at their manhoods (of which, she argued, it would take the combined five to make a normal one) and more. In spite of that, the mercenary was much calmer than she looked. Her colors, while seething with repressed anger, were focused and attentive. A lot like Satu's ones, truth be told.

"You happy I get to go first this time, young lady? You're going to like it even better." The man's lewd words mixed with the lustful aura, his thoughts only for Satu at this time. His step betrayed the anticipation. His big, meaty hand outstretched, moving out to grab at Satu's arm and slam her against the wall to go at it while the battle still raged elsewhere in the room. She could see it as if in slow motion. His colors were bland and boring, devoid of highlights. A lesser man, easily understood with but a glance of her HeartSense. Hardly worth her time.

Reality shifted once more for Satu, and she was presented with a vision from her mark as her ability locked onto the guard's chavi without any conscious thought and was treated to a slice of his past. The interesting portion of it, anyways. Suddenly, the nostalgic smell of salty seawater invaded Satu's nostrils and she was transported to the docks of a large coastal town. The guard had been a sailor then, a deck hand on board a merchant vessel. He was swabbing the deck while the captain interviewed several adventurers interested in helping out with a special delivery. The "million Miza golem".

Fast forward. Quiet navigation to a silent island referred to as Sahova, the fortress of the undead Nuit wizards. They had docked the ship at the piers and the adventurers had disembarked to visit the citadel several miles inland. Five had left, but only three had returned, with a robed figure following behind them. When asked about the others, one of the adventurers, a Myrian warrior, answered that they were dead. A small chest of gold silenced all objections. The robed figure removed the hood and revealed the smiling visage of a dark-haired woman - Drainira.

Fast forward. They sailed back to Zeltiva. The adventurers left the party right afterwards, leaving the golem-woman with the ship's crew. Greed began to devour them as they blocked Drainira's way and tried to stop her from disembarking. Why take the crumbs when they could have the whole loaf of bread? This golem was worth incredible money. Surely the Zeltivan government, or perhaps even the Syliran Knights, would pay a fortune for her? The man Satu was reading had been there, too, eyes glittering with desire and greed.

But Drainira merely smiled. "Gentlemen, would you like to be free?" She asked and began to shape them. She taught them what it meant to be powerful, to have control over others. First, she identified the crew members who were the most hated - and deflected everyone's attention on them. She calmly talked to them, her words mingling with magic, until she drove them insane. Then, she had the rest of the crew kill them off with methodical sadism and enjoy themselves in the process. There was no reason to the killing, except that they could - that was a reason in and of itself, Drainira explained. Doing something because you enjoyed it was 'freedom'.

Fast forward. The crew had embraced her 'freedom', and others after them. They knew Drainira was the answer to these harsh times. She had brought out their true nature. They had bloomed into beautiful flowers of evil, yet the golem herself had the noblest of goals - to save mankind from itself.

Satu was brought back to reality. The guard's arm was still reaching out for her own, as if no amount of time had passed at all.

[Satu]

Patient and focused Satu waited. Her mind said: She was Predator. Her mind said: He was Quarry. She waited, tolerating the cool, unyielding stones beneath her uncovered feet. She waited, without looking, but still the HeartSeer saw him with her Sight. Vileness and Filth spouted from his aura, as heavy boots stepped closer, one stone at a time. The Konti was silent now, quiet as the guard’s next actions became apparent. She saw him. The Heartcolours saw him and gave his intentions away.

Satu was ready, kneeling in the lunge, her right leg bent at the knee while her left leg stretched behind her. Underneath her cloak, her arms crossed at the waist, left above right, each hand now holding the opposite suvai. Weapon points pointed back and down, away from her battered wrists and the unaware guard.

He reached to catch her left bicep. He wanted to pull her to her feet. He wanted to slam her into the wall. He wanted to… to do what he had done before-

The Konti blinked once.

Another Vision! And the Chavi opened unexpectedly to her afflicted mind. Guard became Sailor and the "million Miza golem" stood aboard a ship. And Satu witnessed all. Sahova. Death and a chest of gold. Bribes for the Weak and Greedy. Drainira, hooded and smiling. Zeltiva, and Sailors filled with Lustful Desire. The Golem’s question, "Would you like to be free?" The Konti watched as Drainira shaped them with power, with control. Words and magic intertwined and drove them Mad, to Murder and Sadism. Freedom within it, Freedom within actions. No other reason. True nature ultimately revealed among Beautiful Flowers and Noble Goals to save Mankind from itself. And… the Chavi closed to her.

Avalis’ Vision showed the truth of the unchanging past. But a Seer’s interpretation was a highly individual process and Satu’s tenuous hold on her thoughts allowed her to see only small portions of the Vision as important. Her battered psyche needed strength and courage, and anything that smelled of power was deemed valuable.

Would you like to be Free…?

The hand tightened painfully about her left bicep and Satu responded to the guard’s intrusion by leaning back into her legs as the pressure increased. Ready to spring, she waited again. The man began to pull her to her feet roughly.

Freedom in Actions…

Coldly detached, she used his urgency and strength against him. With the guard’s jerk of her arm, Satu explosively straightened the length of it, with the suvai in her grip. The force of his pull, coupled with the strength of her toned and powerful leg muscles, found the Konti springing forwards and up in the same moment. Moving with their combined momentum, the white bone weapon flashed as his intensity was transformed into her suvai fighters attack. With deadly grace Satu fervently sliced upwards along the guard’s inner right thigh and the newly cruel part of her mind hoped it would be deep enough to slice an artery.

He was unworthy. He did not deserve Drainira’s Freedom. Satu would take it from him…

Not stopping to assess the damage, the Konti followed the path of the suvai upwards. Her body straightened and her forearm tried to create a block against the arm that still held her. With her dual wield, she took a small step of her left foot forward, her weight shifted while her right hand swiftly pulled out the other blade, and vehemently attempted to plunge it upward into the guard’s exposed throat with her momentum.

And she would be Free!

His body was close; Satu could smell the sweat and stink of him. For one second, her eyes caught his and the blue of her eyes flamed brightly with twisted pleasure. But she was off balance and grace was born away on the day’s weariness. Move away! She told herself… Move away!