.:Delilah:.

"M-Mavrik?.." The girl wheezed, flinching as she felt her body lurching. She was on a horse?

"I think she's waking up?"

Delilah didn't recognise the voice, where was she?

"Nah, she can't be. We drugged them good."

Drugged? Fractured memories painted an unsettling picture in her mind. Her hands and feet were bound, she could feel the twine rope rubbing raw in to her skin. What had happened to Mavrik? Was he also captured? Knowing she had to do something to hinder wherever they were taking her. Wracking her brain, desperately she strained her ears. There was a cart, she was with a caravan the tell tale clunking of wooden wheels rolling reached her.

She knew time was not on her side, wherever they were heading she didn't want to go, not knowing how long she'd been out.

Summoning a flame to her hands and letting it envelop the rope, flames skittering over her skin painlessly as it gnawed at the twine. Hearing the man holding her shout and cuss in shock.

"What the??!-"

She didn't grant him time to recover, hands freed as she shoved the man trying to unbalance him and feeling his hold on her loosen, throwing herself from the horse. She hit the ground hard, breath knocked out of her, ignoring it and forcing herself to her feet.

"You little shit" one of the men snarled as Delilah steadied herself, summoning another fireball to her hand.

The men by now had dismounted, charging her swords raised, heavily outnumbering her.

Delilah didn't hesitate, fireball skidding past the group.

They were never her target, as the side of the cart erupted into flames.

"What the fuck!?"

The world spun from the fist that connected with Delilah's cheek sending her reeling. Stumbling back as she fought to regain her stance. Still feeling the effects of whatever they had used to drug her.

"You bitch"

Delilah bit back a cry of pain as she felt another hit to her face, spitting out blood from her lip splitting as she managed to avoid the next hit, dancing back, fist skirting past her nose.

By now she was surrounded, gasping as her legs were kicked out from under her from behind, knees buckling. A firm stomp landed over her shoulders, sending her flat on her stomach when she tried to get back up. Blackness prickled the corners of her vision, feeling the toe of a boot connect with her side, shooting fresh waves of agony, another boot following it on the middle of her back.

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"Alright. That's enough. Can't sell her if she's dead."

The voice sounded far away, Delilah panted weakly as the pain continued to wash over her. The metallic taste of blood all she could think about as terror set in, feeling gruff hands on her and whimpering as they bound her hands once again. Someone came into her hazy vision, she recognised his voice as the man she'd shoved.

"Now, no more fire or I'll start cutting away at you piece by piece." red white hot pain joined the sharp aching pain of the blunt hits as he nicked the underside of her chin with his curved knife "understood?".

He took her silence as obedience, turning his attention to his men.

"Sir, the cart has been damaged and one of the horses got spooked and fled." The man spat on the bloodied girl at his feet. Delilah only hoped it was enough to slow their journey.

"You'd better hope you fetch a bloody good price." he sneered. "You think you've got it bad with us. You ain't seen nothing imp."

"Alright. Load her up, we'll ride until nightfall."

Delilah bit back a scream of pain as she was heaved off the floor, propped in front of one of the men as they started forward again. Each jolt feeling like shards of glass being stabbed into her body as she fought to stay conscious, against the inviting black that promised to grant relief from the pain. Despite her best efforts, the darkness rushed in.

*******

"Hey, are you hungry?"

Pain was the first thing Delilah registered, pain so deep she couldn't muster to even swallow. The thought of food made bile rise in her throat. Cautiously she opened her eyes. It was dark, fire light illuminated the unknown faces sat around the makeshift camp. Finally, she looked at the young boy in front of her, he appeared to be even younger than her.

"Don't bother with her, stupid boy."

"Yeah watch her, she might bite your fingers" The men teased.

The boy sighed, placing a plate of food in front of Delilah and backing away. She slowly dragged herself to sit up, surprised that she could even move. Her movement seemed to surprise the men too as one choked on his food.

"Fuck. What is she?"

"A monster" the man who had spat on her concluded. He appeared to be the leader of the group as he walked towards Delilah, kicking the food away and gripping her chin with a laugh "well, I'll be damned" he chuckled with a shake of his head.

"Seems I didn't cut deep enough" Delilah blinked in confusion, feeling his thumb run across her skin and expecting to feel the sting but, she felt nothing.

Hissing softly as he released her chin and instead wrapped a hand around her horn, plunging his blade deeper into her cheek, causing her to cry out in shock.

"At least we know you'll be fine to sell even with some rough handling" he grinned evilly.

He kicked her down, watching as she sprawled over the dirt "Stay down, devil" he muttered.

Delilah could feel the tears trying to push through, squeezing her eyes shut, refusing to give them the satisfaction. She tried to block out the sounds of the men jeering, the smells of alcohol, the clink of their pitchers as they celebrated the victory of capturing a tiefling.

Imagining herself away from the pain and terror she felt, she hoped Mavrik wasn't hurt.. He wasn't here. She didn't dare voice his existence for them, praying he had made it safely far away and selfishly hoping he was on their trail. She reach for her scarf, seeking its comfort, bottom lip quivering as she realised it was gone. Feeling her last thread to Nadia unravelling, hollowness threatened to swallow her from the inside out, promising to numb everything, all the pain if she would relent. Mavrik, her scarf, Lira's light, Nadia, she'd been stripped of all of them and the knowledge of cut deeper than any injury the witch hunters could inflict.

She was cold, opening her eyes and watching the flecked velvet sky, searching for the North star, keeping her eyes locked on it and the memory of star gazing with Mavrik.

It would be her tether, even just for the night. It would safeguard her from becoming lost.

Delilah didn't know how much time had passed when she heard shouting.

Still disoriented as rough hands grabbed her, shoving her and clamping a hand over her mouth, dragging her into the scorched cart.