We’ve been riding for all of six hours and it might as well have been days. ALready the desert sands might as well be a memory. I’d be okay if they remained that way, though I doubt thats the case.

The klorian climb the mountain paths quickly. Far more so than they managed on the way down. Surprising considering they were being chased by vampiric hares that wanted to strip the flesh from their bones.

Mind, I don’t see why they’re so worried considering they’ve the ability to light themselves on fire.

Or had they been trained to only ignite on command? Its hard to keep track of all the different ways the trainers work them. Always look for the most efficient method.

Personally I feel they’re wasting time.

Animals will break or break you. Machines, now those can be counted on!

A klorian not pulling a carriage moves to walk beside the carriage. “Landline were pulling off!”

I nod and wince as my back shifts beneath the shirt. Why wont he shut up? Then again I suppose I should wonder the same question about myself.

“I despise these clothes!” The single rider added a moment later. “Do you believe the lady might allow me to change into something a little less conductive?”

Does the little pain think I care? Then again, Ama does tend to beat the guy pretty senselessyet he does keep coming back. So maybe he’s just stupid?

“Probably, I think we’re far enough from Pria that it shouldn’t be an issue.”

He nods and begins running his fingers through his hair until it begins to rise up as if it wasn’t bound by gravity. He sighs.

“That is so much better already!” He shouts as he turns his mount back the way he’d come, all but bouncing in his seat of excitement.

I get it. The clothes are scratchy, but have some respect for yourself.

Rolling my eyes I tug the reins and the klorian moves off into a rocky outcropping still laden with corpses of men and hares. It’s not the site of our first battle with the things, actually from the look of it it might have been made by some men who manage to survive that first onslaught.

The carts hardly stopped for hardly more than a breath when the lacky is back. “The lday requests your presense.”

Of course she does. It’s been what? Afew hours? I’ve started to heal. So yeah it sounds about rightBut if the words left my lips his twitness would blab to Ama and what was coming would without question be worse.

Still I’m pretty sure I’ll survive, so thats something.

“Do you know if she’d prefer the nails or the whip this time?”

He smiles showing off far more teeth than necessary. Its actually pretty disturbing. Did he practice that? If he was a fighter that might have been worth something.

“You should bring both I think. Percy beat her in that game. What was it? Word chain?”

Of course it had to be word chain.

Both it is. I really wish the two of them would stop playing. I’m getting really tired of getting the brunt end of it.

“I’m on my way.”

He giggled as I step down from the cart and recoils as I shoot him a look. Always a coward and he only seemed to like pain if it came from Ama herself. Damned worm.

The dewy grass bends beneath my feet. The wetness is more welcming a feeling than the sands even if they always tried to embrace what ever entered them. Was that what the halflings meant when they referred to the heartland?

Donnie and Spitz would know.

Reaching the next carriage I rap carefully and quietly on the door in case the two of them started a new game. If they had my chances of slipping back to my carriage are good.

No such luck.

“Enter Crick.” Ama’s crisp voice echoses out.

I opened the door and she looks at me as if she’d just spotted a toliet bug. Personally I feel the bug should have been more insulted at hearing that god awful scream of her’s but no one and nothings got it easy in life.

Stepping into the carriage I bow to the occupents. Neither of them look fit to entertain. A white powder sits about the entrance to their noses and their clothes are marred by whatever it was that they were drinking.

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“Turn and grab the bars.” Ama sys. She’s slurring.

My back is already aching as I offer up the whip and quickly grab at the bars on the windows frame. If anyone asked they were there for the express purpose of allowing her to hang out the window and watch the cities she leaves behind. Truthfully she might have sed it that way once.

But if she had, I’ve never seen.

Latching on to the bars I take a breath.

Fire spreads across my back with the sound of the ‘crack’.

Breathing through my nose I take another as the whip descends again.

“Did you know that foolish prince attempted to have you as a liason?” Ama asked mockingly.

Though my eyebrow goes up I don’t turn to look at her. That would just empower her. I’ve no death wish.

“Truly Lady?” Percy asked, clapping excitedly. “He thought this brute would be good for something besides the piracy he performs so well?”

Ama laughs, I hear the whistle and the fire spread through my blood and across my back.

The next tears across my scalp, my world turns a brilliant white. It fades a moment later and I quickly find that I’ve missed the rest of the conversation.

“Dear Percy, would you care to give this mule a good whack?”

Only through gritting my teeth do I keep from laughing a bit. Like Percy had the courage to lift an actual weapon.

“I already grown bored of this Lady Ama. What say you we choose to use both this time aboutt?”

“Hmm.” Ama’s interest doesn’t bode well for me. It neverr does.

“I suppose we can. Are you up for a bit of the pipes today.”

A trick question if ever one was uttered. And I’m not so dumb as to bring it down upon myself. Of course there is a correct answer but it’d work just one. And for now I’d rather take the apin.

The pipes ring hollowly together as she pulls them from the pouch. It sounds almost merry really.

She latches on to my shoulder and jerks away my shirt and plunges the metal pipe into my shoulder around the placement in my arm.

There’s no keeping it in. I grunt in pain, tears burn at my eyes but its not over yet. Nto even close.

For the next hour she stabs the pipes into me until all twenty two are spread across my body.

“Tell me crick, you usually run a positive charge don’t you?”

I nod.

All of the sudden my insides feel like they’re burning and freezing at the same time. The ends of my nerves as if they’d been battered and fried and than fried again.

I slump to my knees as it vanishes. Her hair sweeps across my back as she presses her cheek to mine.

“You wont say it, so don’t even bother denying it. But you hate me. You always have.”

I bark out a laugh. “I wont say it? Ama I hate you. Despise you! You are argh—“ my world returns to the boiling existence it held before.

“You’re a brave one talking to the lady like that you festering zit!” Percy snaps and grabs hold of one of the rods himself.

My muscles spasm, pain consumes my everything, all I know is it needs to stop, I have to make it stop!

Shoving myself from the wall the take hold of their faces. But I only look at Ama’s. “All you had to do was leave me alone! I did my business and made sure you got your cut of the profits! But was that enough?”

She tries to answer but I swivel about stiking the pipes against the wall and throwing them from my flesh.

“You thought this is how you earn respect?”

Power floods through my hands and not the controlled sort like the electricity I used on the hares. Not its wild, uncontrollable and at full power. To the point where the air begins to chirp. I’m told it sounds like the crickets, a type of insect found in the grasslands that are fond of playing concerts.

“I’m done! I’m not going to put up with this anymore! And if Tanan has an issue with it let him take it up with me!”

Of course invoking the head/high ambassador of the crescent city wasn’t a small thing, but I’m sure he’ll see things my way. And If he doesn’t well the cider might just get him to change his mind.

I’m ready to continue but It hardly seems fair to roar at Ama now though. WHat with the fact that her face is little more than blackened char. Percy’s no better.

“My lady is—“ He opens the door his worry clearly evident. Seeing me he tries to run but its to late.

Taking him by the hair I drag him into the carriage. He’s screaming something awful. Like he expects mee to do something cruel to him. Pesonally I think its justified.

“If you love her so much you can stay with her!” Taking the mans head into my hands I lift and jerk his head to the side with a good chunk of my might. He stills and as I let go he falls unmoving to the ground at Ama’s feet.

Good. He deserves it.

Breathing heavily I climb from the cart as what I’ve jsut done catches up to me. I just killed them. Its not my first time killing, but its didn’t really bother me then either. The halflings might think it barbarous but when put into practice its hard to deny the results.

The people who tortured me? Dead. The people who ridiculed me? Also dead. Downside? If I’m clever enough there’s not likely going to be one.

I set to work. There is quite a bit to do after all.

First things first the animals. Considering they can’t talk I cut all but one of them loose and with a swift smack send them running off into the mist. Chances are they’d return to the city, if they made it great, if not, no skin off my back.

Next I pull Ama and her flunkies from the carriage and throw them on to the ground. After removing the heads of Ama and Percy, both of which quickly found their way down the nearest crag I take one the the less fried hares break its leg and pull. But the leg doesnt pop free.

Several minutes of searching later and I find a knife on Ama’s inner ankle. Huh, who would have guessed Ama kept a hold out weapon. To bad she was to much of a fool to make use of it.

After shearing the foot off and using it to carve into the ambassador and her parties flesh it follows the head into the crag.

The rest of its body I drag to the edge of the overlook and push down. The animals and scavengers to scared to draw close enough to the outlook wouldn’t hesitate to find the body and if they dont and the scouts do, well its not like I cut through the bone.

Finally I’m done.

I’m done and the truth of everything I’ve just done hits me. It’s not the deaths of Ama or even one of his lackies, not a bit of the world will weep for them.

“Anna, Dinn. I’ll find a way back to the two of you.”

Neither of them would be pleased, Anna because she just so happened to the biggest pacifist I know despite her love for the sword. Dinn, well all that will bother her about the situation is that it’ll take me a fair bit longer to return.

She’s already been in port for four months longer than the never she wanted.

But I’m not out of options. Looking back the way I came, there’s no keeping the grin from my face. My path is clear and it just so happens to have me heading right back into the deserts embrace.

Ama did say that the Prince was worried for me. It would have to be enough, really I just need to get to the port.

Besides I still need to get Anna her sword. Hmm would Anna like to come and visit Pria? She’s never really had the chance to travel before, so I’m pretty sure she’d enjoy it. That just left dinn and since she’s not willing to leave the computer she inhabits I’m not quite sure how to handle it.

Taking the klorian attached to the wagon I unhitch it and placing one foot on to its leg I climb into the saddle. It was less than pleased when my first jerk of the reins sends it ramming into the carriages one after the other.

I pat it on the head, just around its frill as we start heading back down the mountains. It doesn’t really seem to care that I’m touching it. That’s something at least.

“Get me there within the hour and I’ll double the food you get tonight.”

It doesn’t go the slightest bit faster or respond in a way that suggested it understood in the first place.

“That’s okay. I’m used to being the talker.”

The klorian shifts to look at me before returning its attention to the path, it stretches its tongue out and swipes it across one eye and then the other.

“Well that looks like it would taste funny. Tell me do you ever make youself hungry when you do that?”

***