October 17th, 1121

Amethyst could feel an aggressive throbbing pulsating throughout her whole body. Pain racked every part of her as she lay curled covered in fleas and dirt. Thirst and hunger were no strangers, but in this moment, they had long overstayed their welcome. Not that she had ever wanted them in the first place. Her master had already starved her for three days before she escaped. Her stomach curled, clenching tightly as another cramp ravaged her.

She was groaning as she clenched herself tightly, regretting the muddy water she had drank a few hours before. She knew it was a massive risk, but felt she had no other choice. She hoped it could quench even a part of her parched throat. It had not and now her body fought to eject the empty vessel of her belly. Each heave followed by intense cramping. Every muscle screaming in protest, only releasing long enough for her to catch her breath.

People along the street passed by without even a second glance. Even the clergy of Sol for all their blustering of love and charity turned a blind eye. She only intended to stay in the small box she found until she had the strength to move on. Fate, it would seem, had other plans. As she tried to leave the box, her arms gave out, and she collapsed face first into the mud.

"Aye, Bonnard, Ain't that the dog we lookin fir?"

Amethyst looked up to see a tall and skinny human man, her master's henchmen had finally caught up. Amethyst had made it nearly a week and would have escaped if the city gates hadn't been closed while the guards were searching for a high profile Underworlder.

"Yes-sir-y, it dose seem to be to me."

Amethyst's vision went black as she felt her tracking rune send her into a tingly and burning fit.

"Yep, she is the one."

As the burning deepened, Amethyst crept into the blissful void of unconsciousness. When she awoke, a tight collar had been placed around her neck. Her arms were tied with leather straps along with her legs. There were a few men in front of her, they were discussing something, but she couldn't make out the words in her haze.

The tall man elbowed a shorter companion, and they walked out of sight. The remaining man, whom she had never seen before, walked over to her. She was locked into an upright position as the man placed a large bag on a small table in front of her. The table wobbled, only balanced on three of its four worn legs. The bag looked to take up most of the table. He pulled out a large saw with tiny little teeth. The blade looked to be shiny and sharp, but dark splotches covered its spine.

"Well, Roamer," He said while admiring the tool. "It seems your... keeper has declined to pay for anesthetic." He drew in a deep shuddering breath. "You will feel a... *slight*... bit of pain." His voice was clear and confident between his shaky breaths. The man put on a mask. The mask had no discernable features aside from fitting the shape of his face perfectly. There were two small holes that reflected her image back to her.

"What's... happening?" Amethyst asked. Her body was unresponsive and her mind was foggy. She was caught somewhere between a dream and her imaginations which mixed unpleasantly with reality. The reality hadn't quite caught up.

The man leaned into her face, a finger covering where his mouth may have been. "Shh, save your strength... you will need it."

He stepped behind her. There was a clacking noise, then she felt herself falling backwards. The jolt of stopping pulled her from her delirium and she started to feel clear headed, if only briefly. The table then continued down, lowering her upper half until she was flat. A metallic clanking sounded rhythmically as Amethyst was raised. She felt the man place a leather strap over her head, which left little room for movement, but not perfectly snug. He opened a window which let light fall onto her.

She felt a calm breeze as her eyes closed reflexively. Lovely little bird calls along with the gentle tings of windchimes sang in the distance. Amethyst thought she was really passing into death and felt at peace. These few seconds were burned into Amethyst's mind as she enjoyed the serenity of a beautiful autumn day. She thought she could hear children laughing. She imagined herself in a park, enjoying this sunlight while watching the scenery and passersby. She would feed the birds and laugh as children chased them away.

The man obscured her view, looking down at her. Her illusion shattered again. The saw held up in front of her. She remembered that he had spoken to her, but couldn't make any sense of it as her mind was still trying to stay with the few seconds before. The reality finally clicked fully as she realized there was dried blood on the man's mask, and that the saw was slightly red, like iron left in a fire.

Her body responded on instinct as it struggled on her behalf against the restraints. The saw disappeared and she felt a deep grinding against her horns. The Smell struck her first, like burning hair and flesh, Her senses were overpowered by the foul burning smell. She had known this smell before, but had no time to ponder it.

She felt the heat radiating slowly closer to her scalp. The grinding churned her empty stomach as she felt the saw slowly inching back and forth. Then like an explosion, the saw broke through the outer shell and cut into the soft cluster of nerves and veins. The agony was unbearable as she Screamed out in the greatest pain she had yet known. Each pass was a new jolt as the back and forth motion slowly ripped through her. The sensation passed into every nerve. She felt burning and freezing at the same time as her body shuttered. Any world she imagined now was drowned out behind her screams. Then relief as the sensation passed into a throbbing ache which still pained her whole being.

She wanted to break free, or to hold her horn a loud clack rang out in the room from the table. Amethyst was in hysterics as her body went through waves of pain. As one wave passed, another took its space. She had gathered herself slightly. her breath had become more even and she could feel her tears receding. The man had been patiently waiting.

"There you are, I have good news. Your caretaker survived the impaling you gave him." His voice was giddy, as though he were enjoying the suffering he caused. "As such you are not to be put to death, but to make sure you're not a danger to yourself and others, we will continue."

Amethyst couldn't find her voice, but begged in her mind. She could feel her raw vocal cords trying to make the sounds that might just appeal to this man. At the sound of dripping under her, she knew that no man could do this, that her pleading would fall into the ears of a monster which fed on this torture. She grit her teeth and prepared for the second volley upon her remaining horn, but there was no way to prepare.

He cut once more.

Amethyst had been laying in her cell for the better part of two weeks. She was given more food than she was used to and had a hard time finishing it, along with water. The throbbing on her head had not relented. She could feel the burned remains of her cauterized wounds where her horns once were each time the man returned to apply ointment. She relived the last few seconds of her "operation" twice a day for those two weeks as the man would scrub her wounds and apply new ointment.

Her master, Gros, had made a full recovery after a few surgeries. He kept her for another couple years before selling her to a trader that dropped her off in Stone Town.

July 12th 1129 (Present)

"There you are, all set!" Amethyst looked to Tenya tenderly as she cleaned the Nectar apparatus. The routine felt Intimate, like a special time of bonding, So Amethyst really took her time to make sure that every piece was cleaned and sanitized to her best ability.

"Thank you, are you sure you put the right amount?" Tenya had worry in her voice as she drew a rag over the needle mark. It had been clear to Amethyst that the closer they got, the more embarrassed and soft Tenya appeared to be. Like she was finally allowed to feel Vulnerable.

"Yes, Tenya, It won't feel as good while we start lowering the dose, but I will show you the dose next time." Amethyst's voice was calm and patient as she continued the thorough cleaning.

"No, I trust you! Just.. It's painful. Like a dull ache in all of my joints." Tenya rubbed her elbows and shoulders as she waited for Amethyst to finish. "Can I ask you a question?"

Tenya had been asking little things, nothing really to do with her so much as a general understanding of the life of a slave. "You can ask me as many as you like." Amethyst said entranced in her task.

Tenya's voice was delicate as she spoke "What happened to your horns?"

Amethyst felt a churn as she recalled the memory, dulled but still potent. "I ran away after goring my master." Amethyst took a deep breath as she continued with a sigh. "He didn't die, so he was not allowed to kill me, though I knew he didn't want to anyway." Amethyst became caught in the events, playing them out of order, wondering how things could have been different.

"So they cut off your horns?" Tenya had a slight tinge of anger in her voice.

"Yeah, so I couldn't do it again." Amethyst's pain leaked into her words, though she didn't know whether Tenya picked it up. That was something she loved about Tenya, She was always ready to fight on your behalf, or fight you, it was a toss up.

"That must have been unpleasant." The frustration was clear to Amethyst.

"Like clipping the quick in a dog's nail." Amethyst returned to her cleaning, reliving the memory as though it just happened, she could feel a small ache in her horn as she unconsciously reached up to massage them.

"So, painful?" Tenya's voice was hesitant and unsure.

Amethyst put down the tool and turned to Tenya in surprise "Have you not had dogs?" Maybe this wasn't the take away, but Amethyst's thoughts of torture disappeared in an instant as she considered the little history she knew about Tenya.

Tenya shifted as if embarrassed, her hands twisted over each other as she remained silent looking towards the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but let only silence remain.

"It's okay if you have not, I never have." Amethyst didn't feel bad about not having a dog, She never had a need for one, plus she could interact with the master's animals on a regular basis. When she was younger, Amethyst talked herself through chores by pretending she was the owner and all the chores were like a game. Her favorite and least favorite chore was cleaning. Amethyst snapped back to the conversation.

"I have, but the grooming was always left to... hired help." She was definitely embarrassed, her face flushed and she fidgeted nervously.

Amethyst felt a laugh starting to bubble inside her. "The help huh?" She paused to let the comment sink in. "Well I will show you with Wa Chini later. The principle is the same, but there are nerves and blood vessels in there." She felt it challenging not to giggle at least a little bit.

Tenya's attention snapped to Amethyst and a look of horror shrouded her face as she asked, "So it hurts every time their nails are clipped?" Her hands were clasped together, and a new look of worry spread across her visage.

The feeling to laugh fled quickly as a new feeling of sorrow filled Amethyst. "Only if you hit the quick, otherwise it's like trimming your own nails. I am sure they still don't like it." She watched Tenya's hands, then followed up to her neck and rested on her lips for a moment before fluttering to Tenya's eyes.

"I had no idea..." Tenya looked down again.

Amethyst knew Tenya was struggling with how much had been held from her, From the grand schemes, to the mundane, She must have lived a very sheltered life, at least to matters outside of family affairs. "My Father had a large sheep dog when we were still living in my home country of Brandurim. He never let me near him though. Otherwise Solveig has only ever kept guard dogs, not for petting either"

"Sorry you were not allowed to keep dogs." Amethyst meant no jape, she really felt bad for Tenya. Normal people were meant to have animals of some sort whether for eggs or hunting mice, or to help as a guard. Animals were integral to everyday life. A wealthy family like hers should have even had lap dogs. Amethyst couldn't help but feel that Tenya had never been anything but a slave to others, just as she was.

"Trivial, *I'm* sorry you had your horns cut, that must have been agony." She looked at Amethyst with wide eyes and a sorrowful look.

"A distant memory now." Amethyst said monotone as she returned to the task of cleaning.

The night continued silently as Amethyst finished the cleaning and Tenya watched. Amethyst's mind replayed her torture over and over as she worked. Those memories only haunted her until her task was finished, Tenya had grabbed a deck of cards. The two spent the remainder of the night playing games. Tenya told stories of her youth, while Amethyst listened joyfully. Those horrid memories slipped back into the vaults of her mind, locked away by Tenya's smile.

§

The weeks went by peacefully. Every few days Amethyst would help Tenya with each successive dose of Nectar. Their mornings consisted of combat practice, while the evenings were filled with teaching Busara, Wa Chini, and Nuru Hypirian. Tenya dabbled in the local languages, but never fully committed, but she did know how to say a few words and phrases to help her if she became lost.

Games and practice started to bring the companions closer, though Tenya was still the outsider, she would attempt conversing with the others until she grew impatient at her lack of understanding, shutting down altogether. She was getting more confident as they all practiced.

Late in the afternoon towards the end of July, Ponáei gathered everyone together urgently. Hofu, and Stochastís were already with Ponáei as Nuru, Wa Chini, and Busara joined with Amethyst and Tenya in the communal area to listen.

"Uongo has started some renovations to his manor. He is demolishing the surrounding homes and building walls." Ponáei shook her head, likely frustrated at the news. "The project will last a while, but he is moving as quickly as he can. He has also picked up more security in the form of mercenaries." She cleared her throat and looked towards Amethyst and Tenya. "I won't be able to reliably keep anyone inside anymore. We have diligently searched Uongo's home, there is no sign of this one's daughter." Ponáei gestured to Tenya who was listening to Amethyst's translation "We have to reallocate our resources back to our goals."

"So you are giving up the search for my daughter?" Tenya stood with fire in her eyes.

"We have to focus on our goal, when that is done we will resume our help" Ponáei Spoke with no hesitation as she stood with fire in her eyes as well.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Why the fuck am I gonna sit around then?" Tenya started to make her way out of the room.

Ponáei yelled "You are not allowed to leave, you are a liability!"

Busara and Wa Chini stood to block Tenya's exit, hands raised, requesting to wait and listen. Amethyst was in the process of translating, but Tenya turned back to Ponáei and started yelling at her.

"Oh, Fuck you miss high and mighty, I've sat around doing jack shit for weeks under the impression YOU were out there looking. " Tears dripped from Tenya's face as she screamed at Ponáei.

Instead of translating, Amethyst stood "Tennessee, please you are worked up, lets go--"

"Go pacify me?!" Tennessee looked at Amethyst with a fury. Amethyst, who was used to this attitude still couldn't help but flinch back. It was different now, the change over the last few weeks was robbed by the news Ponáei was giving.

"Fuck that!" She turned to Ponáei. "And fuck you!"

Wa Chini put a paw on Tennessee's shoulder. In a flash she spun around punching Wa Chini straight in the nose. He made a yelping shriek before he fell to the ground grabbing his face. He looked at his hand, covered in his own blood, then scrambled away from Tenya.

Amethyst saw the immediate shift in Tenya. Her flaming fury quenched momentarily by the blood of her friend. She observed the bright scarlet beading down her arm. Before Amethyst could make a move, Tenya was already in motion.

"I'm Sorry!" Tenya called after Wa Chini in her best attempt at his language. Her hands dropped and turned to fists as she stormed out of the room.

"I won't have fighting in this house! She needs to get out!" Ponáei Shouted, as she looked angrily at Amethyst.

Amethyst had bitter thoughts about Ponáei, who had no idea what Tenya was going through. Not that Amethyst condoned the violence between friends, but Tenya was making strides in the right direction. Her mind briefly considered Wa Chini, who had made the most terrible noise that set her bones on high alert. He was tough, and no stranger to pain. Amethyst determined Tenya was in most need of attention.

Hofu and Stochastís Immediately went to Ponáei, their conversation was muffled to Amethyst as she told Busara and Nuru to look after Wa Chini while she went to confront Tenya. With her adrenalin pumping, and her vision narrowed, Amethyst didn't wait for a response as she made her move to the room she and Tenya shared.

When Amethyst arrived, Tenya was already putting on her cloak. She pushed her way past Amethyst heading down the stairs. Amethyst quickly followed after her. As they reached the courtyard, Amethyst grabbed Tenya's shoulder. Tenya turned with her arm raised, but controlled her reaction and continued her way.

"Tennessee! Wait!" Amethyst called after her. Amethyst's fears hooked deep in her psyche. there were too many scenarios that threatened this pivotal moment. Would she be thrown out? Would she run away? Each winding path of imagination led through a thorny jungle of unknowns.

"I'm done sitting around, I am going to find her!" Tenya's strained voice betrayed her frustration and hurt. She didn't look back, or seven slow down. Her pace instead quickened as she stomped up to and through the courtyard gate.

Amethyst looked towards the entrance to Ponáei's then back to Tennessee. She chose to follow Tennessee. In silence they rushed into town, no goal in mind. With no concept of the city, Tennessee made random turns to dead ends, then hustled back. Amethyst followed, worried that the Serpent Guard would show up. As the sun started to set, Tenya threw herself down onto a bench and started to cry.

Amethyst sat beside her and waited in silence. Tenya fell onto Amethyst's shoulder and her sobs lightened up as they sat in silence. The fading light of day was ready to sleep under a blanket of stars when Tenya was finally calming down. The bustle of the city in this area was sparse, only a few people dotted here and there. Amethyst thought this was one of the better places for a breakdown, rather in the market streets.

Calmly Tenya whispered just loud enough for Amethyst to hear. "I just can't sit around, my baby is out there somewhere, scared and I'm just playing games." Her hands fell to Amethyst's arm as she remained quiet.

"I know it's hard, but even if Ponáei is not looking, Busara and Wa Chini are out every day. Nuru is out almost as often." Amethyst wrapped her arm around Tenya as they sat in silence. The birds sang their evening melodies, as frogs from the nearby river started their nightly orchestra.

The last rays were nearly gone as Tenya sat up. "I need Nectar, it's been... um." She stretched, letting out a little squeak as she rubbed her arms.

"Four days, you are due tonight, I agree." Amethyst stood just after, mimicking the routine.

"I doubt Ponáei will let me stay after this." Tenya wasn't tall and proud, but she wasn't sulking either. She must have made her peace with it. or was putting on a brave face.

"Stochastís and Hofu were talking to her, I'm sure they could smooth things out." Amethyst had a hopeful tone as she stood as well.

"I hope you know the way back." Her demeanor shifted from collected to frustration then back.

"We are not far away." Amethyst pointed to the road. "Just down there."

Tenya groaned, "I didn't even go far?" She let her head fall in mock shame as she looked at Amethyst with a little smile.

Amethyst let a small laugh out as she patted Tenya's back. "I am afraid not, Let's get you fed and some sleep right?" Amethyst looked Tenya in the eyes.

"You have a big heart." The small smile widened across Tenya's face as she looked into Amethyst's eyes. "Starting to get chilly, want a turn with the cloak?" She started unclipping her cloak as Amethyst put her hand out.

"No, you keep it, I'm fine." Looking at the warm smile on Tenya's face sent a burst of heat through Amethyst, Any more layers and she would start sweating again. A few beads had already started forming from the hot flash.

The two started their journey back but stopped shortly after as three Serpent Guard crossed in front of them, blocking their path. They turned back to find two more were right behind them. Their tails whipped up and around Amethyst and Tenya's necks and started to squeeze tightly so that they couldn't breath. The girls thrashed and kicked but to no avail. The pure muscle of the serpent's tails was as Iron cordage, pinching tightly in an unbreakable grasp.

The serpent holding Amethyst lifted a lantern and studied her face. "Thisss issss the Hornlesssss one Uongo reported." His grip tightened even more.

The dark night grew blurry as Amethyst looked toward Tenya, whose body had already gone limp in the tail's grasp. Seconds later Amethyst lost consciousness too.

§

Amethyst drifted between dreams of being a slave, trapped in a small space and an uncomfortable reality for over an hour before she realized that she was awake in a pitch black room. Her only semblance of understanding was that she felt tightly pinned against solid metal on all sides, which dug into her body. She didn't have much space, she couldn't sit up or stretch out. The cross pattern of the metal reminded her of the dog cages a previous master had kept.

"I'm back in a dog cage." Amethyst whispered fear returning to her mind. She fingered around her confines as well as she could. "Three arms by four arms." She muttered. She had been in smaller, but dreaded the coming days. The cramps and loss of circulation would be a constant battle as she would shift around slowly to different positions. Her limbs would become sore as her muscles cried for use. Sleep would come sparingly and only when her body and mind were forced into unconsciousness. The strain would cause a headache that would thump through her whole body.

She felt the bottom of the cage and felt a sort of relief when there was air under her. She let out a somewhat satisfied sigh, grateful she would not have to sit in her own waste.

She continued deep breaths as the rippling in her chest vibrated harder. She felt her heart spin as she started to feel dizzy. Her Anxiety was kicking up and her attempt at calm breaths fell apart as she started heaving. She started crying and shuttering making the process even worse than before, but eventually, her breathing slowed and she felt an odd sense of peace. In the dark recesses of her mind her anxiety induced night mare started to grow.

"Tenya?" Amethyst's voice carried about the room, giving her a good idea of its size... small. She received no word from her companion. They must have been separated. Amethyst tried to sense if there was any water nearby but all sources were too far from her reach. So she would be stuck, alone... again.

As the hours crawled by, she slowly shifted her position as her flesh started to turn raw where it was forced to sit. Amethyst hadn't accounted for the additional weight she had gained since becoming free. The trade off of being healthy was that her body wanted to sink through the grates. This new complex layer started to form indents which turned into sores in the few hours she was hanging in her cage. Hunger knocked on the door of her consciousness as she pondered Tenya's fate. The pangs distract her thoughts for a brief time. The food she had squirreled away from lunch had been stripped from her, along with any tool that might help. Her only thanks being that her horns were not getting stuck between the gaps like before.

Now and again, Amethyst would call out for Tenya. She couldn't tell whether it had been a few hours or a few minutes between calls, but it made no difference, the room remained as silent as the grave. No shed of light gave a hint to the passage of time. She had been locked up, key tossed and forgotten. Hope was not lost yet though, she thought. her friends would come searching for her. Wa Chini had incredible tracking abilities. Between that and the determination the others had, she and Tenya would be found. It was just a matter of time.

Time, Amethyst considered the time she had been sitting, feeling the drag of time pulling her slowly through the grates as if time was sifting her like grain. Every time she would shift to a new position. A little more of her felt left behind. Her sores were bleeding, or maybe were infected? Her mind started playing out the future she would be forced into. A future where her limbs would rot, and she would have them cut, becoming a worthless worm only good as a pet.

No! That's not right. Nuru is a master healer, she would fix her right up. Well, that is, if she were found soon. Maybe it had been a few days, but no more than a week. She had heard no sign of life, nor any sight of the hope she was clinging to. The voices were her only company. They were distant jumbles as she drifted from dream to dream. When she focused, there was nothing once more, just emptiness. Maybe her fate was deeper than she thought.

They weren't going to find her, like Ebba, this place had swallowed them all up. They were all in the belly, slowly being digested as those above laughed and her searching companions fought to find them. But they never would, after all this was the fate of fighting against Uongo. He was the master here, and by his word she now suffered. Her hope faded as she pondered deeper into her fate.

Time was meaningless. It's void, a construct that was made to make people feel in control, but in this place it didn't exist. Amethyst realized that she was dead, Her flesh would slowly drip from her bones in the endless cycle of shifting. She would become bones, only to grow her flesh back and return back to this hell in a slightly smaller cage. Maybe her real body was set in some shallow grave, or eaten by the crocodiles along the river. Her skin had begun to itch as she considered the insects that ravaged her dead flesh. devouring each little piece of her as she turned to dust.

Even through her thoughts of damnation, she considered Tenya's plight. Perhaps she was alive and well. Tenya was simply left where they were captured. Maybe Tenya had already found Ebba and they were on their way home, Amethyst a distant memory that would make Tenya sad to think about from time to time. Maybe she would tell stories of the Anesdari Roamer that uselessly tried her best to help find Ebba. Tenya would say "Amethyst had a big heart, she cared about everyone. and in the end she was killed for caring for me." Amethyst's mind fell down with different scenarios just like this one.

Amethyst cried often through her rotting. She would cry and then sing quiet lullabies her mom must have sung her. She couldn't recall any memory of her mother singing. but since her father abandoned them it must have been her. Grandfather didn't have the voice for it, She remembered him often telling her to dry her tears and be a big girl. She could almost hear their voices singing along with her. She prayed her mother would come to save her.

She had visions of her mother breaking through the ceiling, a bright light behind her, ripping the cage apart and slowly pulling her out. She saw their faces draw closer, but they were wrong. It wasn't her mother, it was a man. With bright white hair and beautiful scarlet eyes and a dark complexion. She had never seen this man before, but as she gazed at his smiling face, she felt safe. Her mother and grandfather had disappeared and this man was carrying her to the afterlife.

He looked at her, and she could barely make out the face as he started to fade away. "You will be safe. I'll miss you." His face disappeared entirely as the last of his words echoed through her conciseness. "I love you Amethyst, your father loves you!"

§

Amethyst struggled to force her eyes open, She had to use her fingers, as they were crusty and felt glued together. Light beamed through the drawn curtains. Columns of dust clouds and a few flies were swirling and floating through the light creating majestic patterns that she was fixated on.

As the world focused around her, she noticed the sounds of bustling streets. The markets near Ponáei's sounded exactly like these ones. She felt the plush fabric along her back and over her chest. Her fingers rubbed along the smooth light blanket that had hugged her so lightly. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so comfortable. Like she was floating in the clouds. She really was dead, and finally had paid for her sins, but why did the great beyond have so many flies? Her head shifted towards a familiar door. The man with white hair was standing there, his arms crossed, then he slowly walked out. Amethyst Shot up and cried out, "Wait!"

The headache gained fury at her sudden movement. Her eyes throbbed as she took in her surroundings. Across from her were several beds, to her left and right followed suit. There were sleeping people spread out randomly. Ponáei's medical room. The scents of dinner filled her nostrils as peace flooded her heart. She fell back into the warm embrace of the bed, which accepted her, calming her aching head and sore body. She looked next to her left to see Tenya sleeping in the next bed facing her.

Amethyst let out her fear and hopelessness with long deep breaths as she finally allowed herself to feel safe again. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the life around her. The clatter of training, the bustling streets and the sounds of dogs and bells filled her heart with joy. She wasn't dead, she was more alive than she had ever been before!

Eventually she raised her hands above her and observed the backs of her arms. A faded crisscross pattern was lightly etched, new scars of a memory better left forgotten. Like a mural to the suffering, this painting on her flesh would tell her story to anyone who looked. Nuru must have taken care of her and Tenya. So she lay in comfortable bliss for a few more minutes before a knock came to the door.

Amethyst looked over to see Stochastís with Nuru and Wa Chini as they entered the room with soft steps. Their faces were filled with relief and they had smiles as they walked closer.

"Hey friend," Stochastís said with a gentle voice. "How are you feeling?" He kneeled on the right side of her closest to the door, as he got close to her.

Nuru walked around between her and Tenya, placing a hand over Amethyst's heart, then slowly feeling around the more damaged sections of her. Wa Chini remained by the door. Next to him was a man with white hair, but aside from the long white, none of his other features matched what she had seen of the man who saved her, if any of that was even real.

"Certainly been in tighter situations." Amethyst slowly rose, pushing herself against the headboard to look around more clearly. "What happened?"

"Glad to see you are still in good tact." Stochastís had a smile, but that disappeared as he started. "After you two did not return by sunset, Wa Chini and some of Ponáei's men went searching." He shifted onto the bed and looked Amethyst in the eyes. "Wa Chini picked up your trail easily, and followed it to a small post of the Serpent Guard." He shook his head. "They were everywhere, so Wa Chini and the others returned and Ponáei let us borrow those men to come up with an escape plan."

Amethyst's eyes widened and she squeaked out "They fought the Serpent Guard?"

"We took some time to plan everything for success, Myself and Nuru went with Wa Chini and the others as back up." He smiled again briefly. "Even Hofu went, When we arrived the post was just empty, We pulled you and Tenya, along with other prisoners out and brought them here without so much as a sound."

Amethyst slid down a bit so she was more slumped than sitting. "So, how long were we there?"

Stochastís's voice became calculated, but still hinted with warm concern. "You and Tenya were there for a total of four days, and healing here for two."

"It felt so much longer than that..." Amethyst looked over to Tenya. "Is she okay?" Tension building in her heart.

Stochastís looked toward Tenya, then back to Amethyst. "She was in rough shape when we found her, consider yourself lucky you didn't see her. "He regained Amethyst's eyes and continued. "Tenya was in detox of Nectar it seems. Once Nuru learned that, she was easy to help, Though there was some play with the doses." He gestured at the man with white hair. "He once worked in a clinic that treated these symptoms, he carried you out, then spent a fair time with Tenya too."

Amethyst turned to look at the man, but he had turned and was walking away. "Thank you!" She called, but no answer came back. Amethyst leaned back again, straightening herself as Nuru handed her a small bowl with soup.

"I gather from the lack of shock, you were in league with Tenya, knowing about her addiction." He didn't hint at a question. Stochastís was a good detective if he put his mind to something and had a habit of only making these declarations when he was sure of his theory.

"We are weaning her, I was entrusted because she was embarrassed. It was her secret to tell, not mine." Amethyst sat with her head high as she spoke. She had no fear she had done the right thing and feared no retaliation, but prepared mentally to defend Tenya.

"If we had known we could have given her a proper dose from the beginning, but she is stable again and resting. So that is all that matters." His voice was calm, but became more compassionate as he went on. "We are glad you are both safe."

Amethyst tried to hold in the tears, but they burst from her as she considered how lucky she had become with so many good friends. "Thank you, you guys are the best."

"Stochastís, let her rest." Nuru looked at Amethyst. "Get some sleep and in the morning we will update you on everything that we have learned."

"Sleep in peace tonight." Stochastís said as he squeezed Amethyst's hand and stood to leave with Nuru.

Nuru and Stochastís exited the room followed by Wa Chini who gave a smile and a little wave to Amethyst as he followed.

Amethyst laid herself on her side facing Tenya. She studied her features deeply, her face had small scars that were not there before and a little of her hair had been pulled out too. But it was her chest and arms Amethyst could see most clearly. Rugged scars along her collarbone and lower neck painted a deeper physical torture, which her drug addled mind had layered on to her experience. The undersides of Tenya's arms were unrecognizable. Deep tears and gashes to the skin where she had pulled flesh away in her desperate attempt to stop the itching and possible hallucinations had become blankets of scars. Like she had torn herself to the bone.

Amethyst lifted herself out of her bed and slowly crept around Tenya's bed where on the opposite side. She laid herself beside Tenya, who turned to face Amethyst, but remained asleep. Amethyst pressed her forehead against Tenya's and silently drifted into the sweet relief of sleep.