> “I got nothing.”

> -Admission of a snitch before execution by a Darah Daging hit squad.

He’s still alive. M’al Mai Chaur thought bitterly as she groped near-blindly through the winding streets and alleys with the aid of the chain around her neck, extending out to the bastard that had been her savior. She was lucky he hadn’t bothered to put in a stronger bond between the two of them, but rarely does anyone would consider weighing themselves down with the soul of another.

She thought back to the explosion that occured, the weird shockwave that reverberated not just the physical things, but the magical ones as well. For about five breaths long, Blood Falls was without magic, and that created a lot of opportunities. Assassinations, coups, raids, and all sorts of things could be done in that amount of time. M’al spent her portion hoping the slave mark would go away, only to be disappointed as it flared back to life with mocking vibrancy.

Another spell had reactivated as well; a beacon put in place that had alerted certain people of her predicament, but not her location. It fell on her and her rescuers to make the effort to meet one another, and with the slave mark compulsion stirring her legs to move further and further from her home, Mai’s hope shrank more and more.

The chain yanked right into an alley that opened up into a square, where at last its owner could be seen, snoring near a large boulder and a statue of a woman sitting down cross-legged.

I want to bash his head in. Mai heard M’al’ thoughts as they closed the distance. Tear out his spine and toss the rest to the sharks. Don’t you agree that’s the least we can do for this vagabond drifter down on his luck?

“I’d rather not, but I get where you’re coming from. The man is unbelievable.” M’ai rubbed her chest as though to ease its occupant’s bloodthirst. There were worst things in life to go through than death, and one was death by proxy. As she passed the statue, it suddenly sprang to life and blocked the path to the drifter, arms ready to deliver punishment.

“I have something to ask of Reuth Giapain that’s more important that what you’re going through right now. Wait your turn, leech.” The statue spoke with the surety of a royal, which pissed off M’al Mai Chaur in about seven different ways. The blood in her sang and demanded she take action, to feast and drink and make sure not one drop would be left of whatever blood courses through the statue’s veins, but she remained still. She would not be swayed so easily by her instincts like the other Blood-Born were.

“That man enslaved me right after saving my life. The sooner I can work off my life debt, the sooner I can get rid of the slave mark. There’s no way anything you have to say to that dirtbag is more important than my own life.” M’al Mai Chaur emphasized her resolve by taking one step forward right into the statue’s personal space.

“Your hostility is misplaced. I am not your enemy.” The statue says, standing its ground without hesitation.

“It’s Blood Falls. Of course you are. You’re just not on the top of my list.” The Blood-Born cracked her neck and took up a stance as though she was a boxer, arms at the ready and legs strong and steady. The stand-off seemed it would boil over soon, but then a cough or two from the man of the hour came and drew the two combatant’s gazes towards him.

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“Akh, blekh, yuck, pfthh, wow.” The drifter said as he reluctantly tasted the inside of his own mouth. “Mmmmm, hoaahhh, ‘m up. Up?” The last word came out as a question as what he saw finally registered in his mind. He reached inside his cloak and took out his staff, balancing on it as he made a little dance out of his attempt to stand on his own two feet.

Just as he succeeded, Reuth Giapain found himself glared at by one Blood-Born and simply stared at by one statue. To no one’s surprise, the drifter adressed the more amenable one and gave an impressive bow, complete with a kiss on one of the statue’s hand.

“Compliments to the chef, madame. Whoever made you knew their stuff.” Reuth Giapain’s crown mouth spoke, followed by varying murmurs of agreement by the other mouths.

“Charmer, though you are quite correct. The Trium Illustricate spared no expense in my creation, as per the agreement, Reuth Giapain. Are you ready to follow me to your destination?” The statue held out a hand, which split open to reveal a glowing crystal inscribed with a very specific teleportation spell in mind.

“What?! Oh no, you don’t.” Using an impressive amount of will, M’al Mai Chaur grabbed Reuth Giapain by his staff and gripped hard upon the wood. “I am not going to be dragged along for whatever crap you got going on. You are going to take this mark off of me, or I’m going to take you down with me.”

“Before you ask for my advice, Reuth Giapain, I will inform you that I have none to give. This is beyond the scope of my job.” The statue spoke before the drifter even turned his head towards it.

“No money, no honey, as they say.” Reuth Giapain’s neck mouth suddenly chimed in.

“I don’t think this was at all what that saying is about.” Reuth Giapain’s main mouth replied.

“I’d pay a lot of money for some honeys right about now.” Reuth Giapain’s crown mouth joked.

“Boys, let me handle this, alright?” Reuth Giapain shut up his rowdy triumvirate before rising up to his full height and staring down at one irate Blood-Born.

“Tell me why I should let you go. You seem to be part of one of the Three, and the meanest bunch too. I still don’t know why I let that godling talk me into ‘saving’ you, but clearly that was a mistake.” M’al Mai Chaur crossed her arms over her chest as she thought of a reply, but it was interrupted by an insistent knocking coming from within her. With a long suffering sigh, Mai uncrossed her arms and let her ribcage split open, the singular arm and face of M’al peeking through with a haunting grin.

“You will let her go because you, stupid, just threatened me with a good time. I will plunge my hand into your mouths and make cinders of your innards even as your bones turn to ash. The scream of your soul will lull me to sleep even as you beg me for a release. I shall-“ M’al’s proclamations were quickly shut out as Mai forcefully pushed her ribcage together and bound the seams with a few spells for good measure.

“Can you, uh, forget that ever happened? Like… right now. Gone. We’re good on that?” M’al Mai Chaur spoke with a reddened face.

“…Yeah. I suppose so.” Somehow, the wind was knocked out of the drifter’s sails, and he became very tempted to once again fall to sleep. But he persisted, and said, “I’m just really close to getting what I want and if it falls apart because of one tiny thing I let slip, I’m going to lose it. Give me a reason why I should let you go, and I promise if it’s a good one, I’ll let you go right now.”

“MAI! I FOUND YOU!” A roar came from the roof of a nearby building, adorned with the claws and stingers of a scorpionid as big as a train car. All eyes were on one Grix Bloodshark, caked from head to toe in various viscera and liquid. The debt collector’s eyes though, zeroed in on one Reuth Giapain, and with a single line made his intentions clear.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”