Getting out of the cave would have felt more like a victory if it weren’t at night and if there weren’t a metal wire tying him to the mouse named Noah by their hips. The air was damp, mostly due to the light rain. The only light that let him see where he was going a flickering blue flame Brye had summoned, she kept it floating in front of Mark the whole way.

“Boo.”

The sound made Mark twitch, but Noah jumped. The diminutive woman leapt a full foot off the ground and latched onto Mark’s arm. A moment after, she squeaked, letting go and stepping away, her face turned towards Brye, a seething rage burning within those pale eyes.

“Aw, don’t be like that, I’m sure Mark liked you squeezing him like that.”

The comment made Noah turn to looked at Mark, anger in full swing.

And just as their eyes met, it sputtered. The flame vanished, her brows smoothed. Noah’s shoulders slumped, and she turned away. “Let’s just get this over with.” The mouse breathed out, defeated.

“You heard that, pet? Give the order.”

Mark felt his jaw tighten, catching Noah’s hackles rising from the corner of his eye, her whip-like tail lashing once. The mouse was seething in her glare towards Brye. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Noah glanced over her shoulder in his direction. Gritting her teeth, she nodded, stepping ahead and pointing forward. The wire keeping her tied to Mark grew taut after barely five steps, its tension caused her to slow down enough for him to catch up.

“It’s still hard to believe she’s the same Noah.” Behind the group, Shery walked. She was carrying a wooden crate larger and several times heavier than any one of those present. Yet she was bored, only needing one arm to keep it aloft as if it were no more than an empty cardboard box. It seemed that the hardest part about the task was its size more than anything else. “How much further, mouse?”

The mouse glowered at her, ears twitching. “The clearing, should be close.”

“You forget what the good human kept telling us?” Brye laughed. “She’s not Noah, she’s a mousegirl that has Noah’s memories.”

“You’d know about that, wouldn’t you?” the mouse whispered under her breath.

And just like that, Brye appeared in front of the mouse, her hand moved forward, grasping her by the throat. Noah snarled, hands clawing at the arm holding her in place, sharp nails digging into the fox’s flesh. Not that Brye cared, she raised her free hand, black fire enveloping her digits. “Seems you lost your burnt ugly mug, maybe I should fix that.”

“Stop.”

Mark’s singular bark made Noah freeze, her whole body went rigid.

But the word had not been aimed at her, his eyes were on Brye.

“Tch.” Her ear flicked in annoyance, her hand letting go of Noah, the mouse dropping to the ground and coughing.

Green eyes peered at Mark, he frowned, ignoring the gaze and just trying to keep moving. His mind kept running in circles, trying to focus. He was tied to Noah, but that was mostly just to ensure Noah couldn’t run, she was most definitely faster than him. And by the looks of it, she had no trouble seeing in this intense darkness that surrounded them in every direction.

Mark’s eyes kept flickering towards Brye, she was walking ahead. Shery behind.

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“We’re here.”

At Noah’s words, the group turned in the direction her finger was pointing. Just a dozen meters to the side or so was a clearing. Just like the mouse had promised. They approached cautiously, eyes peeled for potential threats, but finding nothing at all. They didn’t move to the center of the clearing, since the drizzle would’ve drenched them right away.

Without warming, Noah moved her fingers to her lips. She let out a loud whistling sound. Three short ones, and one long. It had been a sharp retort that pierced through the surrounding forest.

“Now, we wait.” Noah slumped to the ground, sitting on the damp soil without apparent discomfort. She leaned against the tree, closing her eyes.

“Mice and their naps.” Brye chuckled, her hand pushing Mark against the same tree albeit on the opposite side. “Sit, I want a nice comfy chair.”

He remained unmoving, leveling a glare and not moving.

“We’re on the job, no playing.” Shery commented, putting down the crate and using it as a seat.

“It’s just a little playing. Who knows how much longer we’ll get the chance? Mark might make a run for it the instant we stop looking.” The fox’s leg moved swiftly, hand pressing Mark against the tree trunk as she kicked out his feet from underneath him.

He fell ass first, groaning from the pain, and then grunting when the fox straddled his lap. Gold eyes flashed in amusement, her hands draped around his shoulders. Her body pressed against his own, hot, warm, there was something in her scent that tickled at the back of his mind.

“See? Much better.” She cooed, hand patting his head.

Mark didn’t try to shove her off, not only was it impossible for him to struggle against her strength, it would encourage her to do more. He turned to look away, trying his best to ignore as she leaned down to blow a cool teasing breath into his ear and neck. It made him grimace, but he still fought to keep a straight face.

And that appeared to encourage her too, her fluffy black tail lashed back and forth. Her lips moved to kiss his shoulder, hands moving to his chest and gripping his shirt before her touch moved downwards, teasing at the edge of his pants.

“Brye, seriously.” Shery grunted from her box, eyes darting into the surrounding shadows. “Keep your head out of your cunt.”

“Why?” She asked, chuckling. “Our clients like the show after all.” Her head pulled away from Mark, eyes gazing into the darkness. “A product demonstration, if you will.”

The human nearly jumped when several figures emerged from the shadows.

First two, then five, then a dozen.

Maidens, one and all. Monsters that were so approximate to human that for a fraction of a second it had fooled him. But no, his eyes locked on the collars, on the weirdly sharp ears, the weirdly colored hair. Most looked like an elf that had spent too much time under the sun. Tall, thin, lithe and graceful. Each of them a warrior wielding a sword, a bow, or a shield. But there were a handful that were of paler complexion. But such a rule did not apply to the one that walked in front of the group.

It was a woman of coal black skin that felt as it if absorbed the very shadows around her. Her features were fair, beautiful even, there was a thin fragility to her lithe figure. She was almost as thin as Noah, but taller. Unnaturally taller. Her limbs slightly longer than they should have been, her fingers like bones that wrapped around her walking staff with a deathly grip. Clothed in long flowing purple robes, she was the only one from the group that looked one strong breeze away from collapsing like a house of cards.

Her eyes, milky and unfocused, half blind, were still somehow able to lock onto Mark with laser precision.

That gaze bore into him and made every part of his mind scream to shove Brye off and start running. To run fast and as hard as he could. Any thought and consideration to use this client to get rid of his two captors was thrown out the window without a second consideration.

This woman was dangerous, far more dangerous than everything else Mark had ever encountered.

His whole body went rigid, cold sweat running down his skin as she approached.

Brye growled, leaning over him, her body almost a shield. “We have the product, there are more boxes where that came-.”

The words died, Brye’s body became rigid. Her eyes widened. Her lips moved but not a sound came out. The tall bony figure approached, fingers reaching out to caress the collar on the fox’s throat.

She had not stopped looking at Mark, not an instant, not a blink, had she even breathed? “I see.”

Those two words chilled Mark’s bones.

Slowly, the finger on Brye’s throat released its deathly touch, the woman raised the hand above her head. “Take them.”

“That…” The fox looked surprised she could speak again. “That isn’t how this works.”

“Our deal was with the human named Noah. The only human here is clearly not him.” The woman’s ebony lips parted to show rows of pearly white teeth. “Worry not, you will be our… guests… while we hash out a new deal.”

Mark certainly did not like the sound of that.