Flashback The Price of Bravery [Zadok]

[Nyaela]

Nyaela made sure the line of slaves started to move forward, though she walked near the human, alert for any signs of weakness or treachery.

"I highly doubt that you would kill her or the others just for little old me."

"Well you know so much about this, I should just give you the reins," she replied mockingly. She had better things to do than stand and converse with him, but her journey was going to be a lot easier if he understood his place in her plans. He could pretend to be as spirited as he wanted, but that did not mean he had the upper hand. Not with her.

"You must understand that I am not lying. You've seen ... what? Four and ten summers? You're barely under -" her brow wrinkled as she searched for the number. "Twenty. You're just a child. Stronger and more time on you. This woman?" She nodded at the Chaktawe. "She has been on Falyndar for eight and twenty summers. How much time do you think she has to work? Or that old fool there, four more summers than she has." She pointed at a slightly older-looking man in the middle of the line, his tanned face giving him the appearance of a forty or fifty year old man. "I could kill them all, walk you back to Taloba and still make a fortune when I sell you - more than I get selling them together. So don't think you found a way above the rules."

"If you untie me and lead these people to safety without selling their lives away that will be the end."

An eyebrow rose, and she crossed her arms, "Is that so? And what will you do about the countless others who's lives I've sold? Gutted? Eaten? Sacrificed? Or you think me letting five weaklings travel Falyndar to their deaths instead of taking them to someone that will keep them warm during cold nights will ... how do you say it ... make me ... 'nice'?"

"I'm just criticizing how you coordinate yourself."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, unsure of what exactly he'd just said, a few of his words beyond her scope of Common. Something about not checking his coat? What, did he expect her to look now just because he'd said so?

She shrugged nonchalantly, "You want the truth? I couldn't care less if you've got a petching Dhani hidden in your ... 'coat'. Only a fool wears leather in Falyndar. It's not the sun that's killing you, it's your dress. You can't walk straight - it's doing most of my job for me."

She snorted, "Also, you can't kill me human. And I know you're going to try it, but I feel I must warn you ... they won't run. You see, the training for these slaves is life-changing process for them. We beat out their will." She curled her right hand into a fist and smashed it against her leg, "Take it and break it. Like bone. Have you ever crushed human bone with rock?" She gestured with both her hands. "It's not gone completely. There are still pieces. But you can never make that bone whole again. If it's their leg, they can't walk. If it's their arm they can't use that hand ... but if it's their very ... self ... how do you heal something that will never work again? Why would you? You think they want you to save them? Why not ask them?"

She tugged on the rope to make the human walk a little faster, then added a little bit of advice she felt he really needed. "That's why they're going to Kalea. So it would be smart to remember this when you start to think you can escape. You'll be hurting the ones you came to save." A small smile crept onto her face, "It's a lot to know at once, but don't worry. You'll find out what I mean soon enough."

I can't wait to break you.

[Zadok Shadows]

Zadok looked out into the jungle as he processed this information. He was beginning to give up hope on his endeavor. He needed to remain clear headed. "Your a monster, the true scum of the world. I look at you and see everything I hate. Though I can not act so high and mighty. I have done terrible things. I can see even a terrible person such as you must still have a sense of care for your family." Zadok looked at the ground as he walked. "I can't say the same thing. When I was younger I... I killed them in their sleep. Ever since that I have searched for a way of redeeming myself. As for this coat. It means more to me then anything. When a families farm was attacked by bandits I rushed to the families aid. The father was to sick at the time to help. I fought through the night to protect strangers I never knew. When it was done I was the victor. The sick father gave me his old trench coat. He said he used to travel as well. He said it brought him strength of the divines. I promised him I would never let it go. I know you don't care but I guess we all have something we hold dear. My guess is that your earrings and necklace were gifts. Wonder how much someone would pay for them." When the slaver looked away zadok concentrated at a tree ahead. He was going to try to set it ablaze. The dampness of the tree might make it difficult. When they got closer he casted a firebolt at the tree and made the fire spread in front of them without the slaver see him casting. The smoke started to get a little thick. "Oh my maybe your control of the situation is nothing but smoke and mirrors."

[Nyaela]

Even Nyaela's considerable self-restraint wasn't enough to keep her from rolling her eyes as he began to talk to her about his past. She was never quite sure why these captives felt the need to explain their lives to her. She was by no means a weak link - she had shown many of these deyhan just how cruel she could be. Yet, time and again she was regaled with someone's sob story and how it really meant that she would be a good person for letting them go.

Such words meant little to her, however. Concepts like 'good' and 'bad' were related to Myri's position on them, and while these weaklings that had no right to stay in Myri's domain disgusted her, she cared little for their plight. A job was a job, after all.

And everyone had to do their part.

Not like those witless barbarians in Kalea, who wouldn't know a day's work if they were forced into it. And so, because of them, she was forced to do this menial task. Clearing Myri's home of the weak while ensuring they were put to good use elsewhere. It wasn't pretty or glorious, but it was her task in life. And she would do it until Myri commanded her not to.

"Wonder how much someone would pay for them."

It was interesting that Worm had chosen the most uninteresting part about her outfit and immediately thought that she valued it for some reason. Her hand rose to caress the necklace. "What is it you said? 'Hold dear'?" she snorted. "You barbarians put too much value in objects. Things."

She shook her head, her hand dropping back to her side as they continued to walk. "You are so afraid of loss that it ... ruins ... your judgement," she declared. "It makes you weak. A Myrian accepts loss. If I lose this tskanna horn, her spirit will still be a part of me. If I die, I will still serve Myri. I do not worry about what I will leave behind, for there is no greater honour."

She shrugged, glancing backward to check that her other captives were still on course. They were, although one of the older men was starting to have trouble breathing, it seemed. Just as she was pondering making another stop before he dropped down dead, the human said something in a tone that did not please her at all.

"Oh my maybe your control of the situation is nothing but smoke and mirrors."

Turning around to admonish him, she stopped as she glanced at the tree he had set on fire, her back to him. Turning around in shock, eyes flashing, she stepped back when she realised that he had been the one to set the tree on fire.

"You barbaric ... monster! Caiyha will curse you for this!" She slapped him again, more forcefully this time, her eyes blazing. "What fool would think to set a tree on fire in the middle of the forest?!"

She straightened, her chin jutting out as she stared at him in pure contempt. "You make this hard. So I will make this easy for you." Her eyes went to a human woman a few places down the line from him, and she beckoned forward.

The woman slowly walked forward, her eyes widening with terror as she neared the Myrian. She started to shake, and a soft whimper came from somewhere.

Nyaela slowly drew the sword she had pulled from Worm's reach and grabbed the woman's hand, bringing her close as she wrapped her right arm tightly about the woman's neck, still holding the hand upright for him to see. The sword in her left hand pressed against the woman's fingers. She carefully bent the woman's outermost digit downward so the second finger from the end rested against the sword.

"It is saying in Common, is it not? 'Fire bites'. Let's see how well this sword was made, shall we?" She didn't even press down on the sword before the woman began to scream loudly, her tears flowing past her face and drenching Nyaela's arm. Nyaela didn't even glance at her, ignoring the piercing scream and watching her new captive to see what he would do. If he resisted, she'd cut off a finger. Simple terms. That was the way she liked to play. "Make the fire stop, and perhaps Caiyha will forgive you enough to let her live unbroken a little longer." Really, once she'd realised his weakness for the others, it had given her an almost inexhaustible source of lessons to curb his spirit. This was the first step.

[Zadok Shadows]

Zadok couldn't ignore the screams of the poor defenseless woman. He couldn't take the guilt of it any more. "Ok!! I'll stop the fire just don't hurt her." Zadok soon put out the fire. He glared at the slaver. "It's strange to me. Where do you get off by calling me a barbarian. I have never killed unless it was absolutely necessary. Even when I have I hopes that they reach a peace beyond this existence. You call me a monster for my powers. Though you are the one who would kill for pleasure." Zadok looked back at the ground he realized that if he was a different man he could just burn the slaver take his sword and run away never looking back. But he is not that kind of person. He looked up at the slaver. "You said that you could make a fortune on me is that still true I can't imagine many owners wanting a slave that can kill their master." Zadok was thinking long and hard on his situation he wanted to save the others but he could only find one way at the time. He wasn't ready to accept it yet.