Two sat in one of the castle’s many quiet corners. The absolute dark suited her mood. Removed the thousand little impressions that tainted her senses. Replaced with castles, lonely gloom.

Her thoughts had apple space, to drift.

Technically she wasn’t trapped. Spirits willing, no one would about her. She could leave.

It was a nice thought,

But there was so much she didn’t know about cultivators. Could someone look into the past to find her? It seemed ridiculous but Two could smell a house’s grief. Taste impression doused in eons.

Each could and maybe ate at her. What could she do!

She pressed her back against the cool stone wall. Technically she wasn’t trapped. The question was did she have to courage to leave the cage?

Time dragged forward. She smelt him before he arrived. Trepidation hidden beneath a bright torch and confident walk. He took careful steps. Wide eyes whipping to any shadows cast by the insufficient flame. His eyes met hers.

Caution sharpened to fear, ”Butch’s back the boss wants you.” He spat.

She stared at him. Why did Daisy even want her? Why go through all the effort? When everyone wanted her gone.

She didn’t know. She couldn’t find a good answer.

“I’ll be there soon.” She whispered. He took it as an invitation to flee. Her gaze followed his back till he rounded the corner. Till his steps faded away.

Then she spared herself a moment.

She stood and took slowly walked to the entrance.

***

Butch was laughing when she arrived. Familiar annoyance touched her dreary world. She couldn’t decide whether nothing had been better.

She glanced at the woman. She was crumpled. No, knelt in the middle of the room. Her slumped terrified demeanor made it seem like she’d been thrown.

She felt a dull satisfaction. The mind bender brought low. But it fell as he examined her.

Her hood was pulled back. Her black hair and the crest of feathers around her collar. Her pristine coat scuffed. She smelt vaguely of sewage. Shoulders hunched into herself. As if the action could stop the crowd’s stare.

Their curious eyes examined the trophy. With more malice and greed.

She radiated a rare blend of fear. Loss of control, weakness, layered with mounting dread. Seasoned with many lesser writhing emotions. Spiraling and crashing with every passing second.

All wrapped around a kernel of… Hope.

Her forked tongue froze. The darting gaze met hers.

Recognition flashed in their eyes. A silent plea followed.

“Well.Well.Well.” The Boss slithered into the room. Her tone lazy and laden with threat. “It seems today is going wonderfully.” She flashed a toothy grin at the gang. That fell on the woman “Though someone seems a bit, scuffed.”

The woman’s expression firmed. She began with confidence “I am Deadra Sa-“

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“Oh, I know who you are.” Daisy chuckled and shooed Butch. The man retreated with a smile. “So let’s cut through the implied threats, the offers and the tears. I do hate the tears.” Daisy tutted and shook her head.

Deadre paled with every word. She could taste her hope curdling. “We can-”

“You can nothing.” She hummed and crossed her arms. ”What I want you can’t and provide.” She leaned close. Their faces almost touched. Daisy’s smile changed. Softened. As if she cared.

Her anger slipped into the material. A weight grew in the room. Quiet but insistent. A promise. “I will accept some flailing given your circumstances. But. You will obey. Because there is nothing you can do.” She pulled back.

The room breathed, as anger returned to being just an emotion. ”Save yourself the pain.” She smiled brightly.

Deadra nodded.

“Terry if you could,” He walked in. As if following a script. He stopped beside her, a pair of manacles in his hands. He dropped them. ”You know what to do.”

She couldn’t taste the metals spirit.

Deadra stared at them for a long while. Daisy waited above. With vacant eyes. She picked them up. And slapped one of the heavy manacles onto her wrist.

Her emotions dimmed on Twos senses. Hope most of all “Imbued,” she whispered, glancing up.

“Only the best,” Daisy winked.

Hands trembling she lifted the other manacle. Naked terror written on her face. She froze.

The room watched.

Beneath a frozen facade. Their heart roiled. It stung at something raw in Two.

Her hope died before the second shackle fell. Her flavour vanished. Leaving behind a stinging absence.

***

The woman was hauled into the tunnels beneath the castle. She followed. She didn’t know what compelled her feet.

She trailed behind the thugs and their slumped package. They didn’t notice her at the light’s edge.

So they swaggered through the gloom. Shooting glances as the captive.

Tracing a path through the labyrinthine network. That composed the slum’s second face. Sure in the knowledge the cursed things were far below.

Her silent steps followed. They left the weary stones. For a path chipped into the rock. Its walls and floor were sharp. Smoothed by neither time nor effort. Like a scabbed wound. Before the scar could fade.

Fresh compared to the must behind her. Yet made generations ago. New meant odd things in the city. Odder things in the slums.

She wished she could put years to the tastes. Learn more of the legends beneath her feet. Than misremembered tales and bastardized myths.

She walked carefully to keep silent. The tunnel tilted upwards. Soon forcing her into a near climb. Her unknowing guides were slowed by maneuvering their charge.

They boiled with frustration. That warped into anger. They shoved, jerked and eroded.

Deadra moved at the same sedate pace. Her head low. Her expression concealed by flickering torch light.

She was empty. Like the shackles had taken all of ‘her. Like she couldn’t feel. Two hadn’t known that was possible

It was worse than a corpse. Two’s disparate thoughts congealed. If she was to be trapped beneath Daisy’s thumb. She would know why.

They reached crested through a ceiling of wooden planks. One of them turned to reseal their entrance.

Two made her presence known. “Wait,” she hissed and locked eyes with him. His pupils went wide. She took the opportunity to ascend.

She glanced around as he fell back. She was in an abandoned warehouse. Constructed of wood with crates strewn about. The place was likely used to store materials for a factory. She drank the musty air. At least before all the people left

A metal cage stood in the middle of the room.

She returned her attention to the pair. They sported feline dusty yellow ears. Both in colour and cleanliness. Along with similar features. The taller of the pair reached for a knife.

“What, are you waiting for,” false anger underlaid her voice. She didn’t need to shout. Just let prejudice help her.

“Uh what are you-” the smalled picked himself up and crept towards his brother.

“Put her in the cage.” They jumped to comply. Throwing the woman in. “Idiots. Don’t damage her, what will the boss do if she’s harmed.” She didn’t have to feign her tone.

She stared into their trembling eyes. The reek of fear. She pinched her nose. It helped mildly. She squinted, “Down,” she pointed at the open hole.

They exchanged a nervous glance. A silent competition ensued. The taller one stepped forward. “The Boss told us to guard her,”

“And,” her expression flattened.

“And, and”

“And you have proven your incompetence. I would be surprised if you bruised her. guard the path up and save yourself the effort.”

They hesitated.

She relaxed her posture and spoke softly. Just like Daisy. “Do you want me to repeat myself?”

“No,” they said together and scrambled. Inching around her as if she were diseased.

“Take the torch,” she gestured to the object slowly charring a hole in the floor.

Two waited for the sound to fade away.

She turned to the cage. She didn’t know what she was going to say. It died on her lips.

Curled into a ball, Deadra’s hollow eyes bore into her.