Solo [Weekend Challenge] Haunted By The Past

[Kelski]

Timestamp: 20th of Spring, 519 A.V.

Sunberth was dark, damp, and stormy. And while Kelski was a creature of the skies, she liked them fair and sunny with a breeze laced in salt and brine. All she could smell was acrid smoke from the slag heap. Kelski didn’t mind the night, or her Night Mother’s comforting shadows. But this darkness, for some reason, was filing her form and slipping into her as if following the pathways of her own sweat and sliding into her body the way her own water leaked out. Perched on the roof of The Midnight Gem, in human form, Kelski could only describe the sensation as crying in reverse. Her tear ducts almost burned with the need to shed the poison that seemed to inundate her body, plugging up all the ways she’d normally find release.

It was awful, choking, and made her taste death in her own throat and brought up weaknesses to the forefront of her mind she couldn’t begin to understand.

Kelski was painfully lonely. And that loneliness was flooding her entire psyche with the feeling of being unimportant and inconsequential to anyone and everyone. She felt small. In the darkness she felt her light frame shrink down even further as if her own flesh and bones were collapsing into themselves. If she sat where she was much longer, she’d simply wink out of existence and cease to exist. It augmented her feelings of being alone.

With the lonely came fear. To Kelski, the world wasn’t worth journeying through unless one had good friends and people she loved at her side. More and more she’d felt the need to retreat, to leave, to take what she’d earned here and move on. Move on to where though? Why? She’d never felt this low in her life. And it was because there were holes in her heart here. There were missing segments to her life she didn’t understand and didn’t much like. She’d tried to talk to Gilthas about it, but he’d only shook his head and said that once – when they’d first met – she’d felt different and he wasn’t going to enlighten her any further on the matter.

Perched on the roof, dressed in black leathers, and armed to the teeth, Kelski stared out over the seas and saw only more isolation, more loneliness, more need to take action. She wouldn’t stagnate in this pain. She wouldn’t dwell in this mental state. She couldn’t. It was too hard, to brutal and too bitter. Those things were alien to her and toxic to everything she stood for. She had to move, had to roam, and had to get the heat flowing from her again. She wanted to sweat… to make her legs and arms ache with exercise to push the toxic poison of darkness out of her. Kelski wanted to be among people. And though she’d never really felt part of them or particularly welcomed by them, she needed to be in a crowd.

The Gem reached out then, stroking at her mind, whispering to her.

You have me. I am here.

It wasn’t a comfort though, not in that moment, and not with that feeling of darkness invading her mind and swallowing her essence. She didn’t want to particularly reach out and touch The Midnight Gem either. She didn’t want to spread whatever was affecting her to The Gem itself either.

You have me. The voice said again… stronger, firmer, reminding her of a friend who was indeed calling her out on something she’d said being silly.

Kelski looked thoughtfully behind her, watching the city stretch out at The Midnight Gem’s back.

“Do you like it here?” She said out loud even as she avoided the connection, very conscious of the taint she was feeling in her mind, body, and even soul. Her eyes surveyed the city that flowed out behind her. There was such filth there, such decay, and she was struck again at how much Sunberth struck her as a giant monstrous beast lying dead upon the shore. The humans that infested it were like flesh eating beetles that slowly broke down the carcass. They didn’t care about the smell, the rot all around them, and all they cared about was their greed – filling their own stomachs and taking their own pleasures.

With you. Yes. Here? In this place? I am not attached. Much pain. Much death. I would not mind elsewhere if that was not so much so. I would miss the sea though. It and the winds are my friends. The Gem replied quietly, a low murmur in her mind.

The Sea Eagle was inclined to agree. She loved the sea too… so very much so. She wondered if that was a love she’d passed onto The Gem when she’d birthed it. Watching the waves was so much more soothing than watching the city. And she trusted the waves more, whereas putting her back to the city was never a good idea.

Kelski hated Sunberth. She once thought it could be saved. But she didn’t think that now… not with the essence of what the city was oozing into her very pores and spreading taint through her body, weighing her down and driving her fears and insecurities to the surface. It was such a tangible thing that the Kelvic was certain she couldn’t be wrong.

It drove her restlessness on. And she quickly rose, walked the length of the roof, and then walked down one eavesline until she jumped lightly from where the gutter overhung the balcony and landed lightly on her feet on the wood outside the living quarters.

Where do you go? The Midnight Gem asked.

Kelski grimaced. She hated the thought of linking and showing the building. She felt too unclean, too poisoned, to do more than answer verbally. So she simply answered out loud. “To the city… to walk. I’m too restless to stay here, to work…. Something… needs to be done. Something needs to be faced. I don’t know. I need people… and no one is home. Don’t tell Little Rhaus. He’ll ask and I want him home safe.” She said suddenly, took the steps three at a time, and took the steps two at a time dancing down off the balcony, walking around the house, and out into the street of Baroque Bay. She headed into the city, not sure where she was going to go.

Words: 1066

[Kelski]

Kelski set off, her booted feet briskly striking the broken cobbles and mud that made up what Sunberth considered roads. No one fixed anything here in the city. Nothing was ever repaired unless it directly resulted in benefiting a business or giving someone access to an area that gave someone a profit. No one just simply worried about the old falling in a mud puddle or the children getting hurt on sharp hulks of broken buildings. The gloom of the evening was oppressive. Kelski hated it. She should have scouted a flight over the city first, she realized, as she headed more deeply in.

Following instinct, Kelski turned inland walked until she hit a main road that ran south and curved back around westward, not liking this part of the city at all. Night slowly fell, twilight invading, and Kelski felt the normally friendly shadows turn their backs on her. It was like the city was holding its breath. She walked on and a chill filled her even though the night wasn’t cold. Her breath slowly became visible as she exhaled tracing phantom tendrils of the visage of life suspended in the air before her. She walked right through them and it a surreal feeling surrounded her. She exhaled again, the air around her chilled, and saw something out of the corner of her eyes. A tall figure strode beside her, ethereal and not as much in the world as she herself was. Fear traced through her, causing the flesh on her arms to rise in tiny forests of bumps that tattled on how scared the figure pacing her was.

“Death isn’t the end.” The bearded man said, his sinister gleam falling on Kelski’s figure.

She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. All she could do was keep walking. Darvin shadowed her like a bad smell she couldn’t quite rid herself of.

“You know its not the end. I almost had him… your lover. But the madness within him ejected me. I wouldn’t have stayed in that host anyhow. He was full of taint.” The Ex-Dragoon said, reaching up with a transparent arm to stroke a beard that wasn’t quite real.

Kelski’s whole body screamed to run, but she knew it would be useless. She doubted she’d make it more than two strides anyhow before she tripped over her own feet. She certainly was on the verge of loosing her bladder, her body was shaking so hard. She didn’t look at him. She didn’t answer him. Kelski was afraid to give him that power.

“Was he filling you with taint when he was rutting over you? Soiling that sweet pussy of yours? I know I was a better lover. He couldn’t have been very well hung. Your body was so tight, so needy when I was having you.” He said, reaching out to touch her arm then, as if to stroke her as one would stroke a pet. “I think about it even now… about invading another man’s body and having you all over again. I could do it you know… I could….” He whispered darkly, flashing half rotted teeth.

The whites of Kelski’s eyes flashed at the mention of her rape. She’d never dealt with that time, never thought about it, never let herself grieve what was lost after Darvin had taken what he’d wanted. She had thought herself tough, beyond it, but with Darvin’s icy dead touch, she suddenly relieved every ounce of sexual abuse she’d ever went through at the hands of the men who had owned her. It was like a whirling montage of images from the first painful bitter moment when her first master had sold the rights to her innocence to pay off one of his debts to the last bitter scene of Darvin rutting over her as she wrapped Little Rhaus’ garotte around his neck and choked the life out of him even as he filled her body with his seed.

It was too much. All of it was too much. And Kelski suddenly dropped down, hunched, with her hands on her knees and vomited violently. She kept throwing up, over and over again, even as she felt icy hands gather the thick mass of her ombre hair in his hands and hold it aside for her…. like a gentleman.

It was a game; a game of pretend that never ended in anything other than violence. And it reminded her of the kindness in Darvin’s fake gaze as he offered her the drugs he cooked, dosing her with his experiments before he set them loose on the streets. There was no kindness there… it was about protecting his reputation as a dealer… as a drug developer. And even as she wretched again, she remembered how Darvin had told her once she was good and high how he’d used her, holding her mouth open and pleasuring himself with her slack-jawed lips.

Kelski mentally screamed for Anja. She screamed for him over and over again because he was often the only thing that stood between Sunberth and the ghosts that haunted her.

Her meltdown brought only more retching and it was a good long time before she could stand up straight and breathe. When she did, Kelski knew all the color had drained out of her and her limbs felt wooden and hard to move even as the acrid taste of her vomit filled her mouth. Still she couldn’t look at Darvin. She couldn’t face him. It took all her will to not try to shift and fly away, even fully dressed… like the coward she was.

He took a step closer, moving around her, and smiled. “Maybe I’ll just step into you instead. It has to feel as good wearing your body as it does petching it.” He growled, his grin stretching across his long dead face.

It was then that Kelski bolted.

She had no choice. The Kelvic tore out of there as if her feet were on fire, pressing against the mud and cobbles as fast as she could, launching into one stride after another, not bothering to draw her weapons. They would be useless against Darvin anyhow. She had no soulmist, no weapons charmed against them. There were not even any words that could stop him. And she she took flight with her human feet, trying to run from the one thing that truly terrified her… death… and those that didn’t die.

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[Kelski]

Kelski had rarely experienced the disconnect where her brain wasn’t completely in control of her body. Her lungs were huge bellows as she mindlessly fled the specter. Fist gathered and arms pumping the Kelvic tore down the street, her long hair trailing behind her, and sobs tearing at her throat. Darvin couldn’t get her, not here, not when Anja was no where around and there was no one that could help her.

The Kelvic ran faster than she’d ever ran before, not turning to see if he pursued her. Hot urine soaked the crotch of her leathers, though she paid no mind to it. She could be shitting herself for all she paid attention as she ran, the now pungent leather rubbing harshly against her tender thighs.

Nothing caused her to slow. She just blindly followed the road, looking for more people, for safety in numbers. Darvin surely wouldn’t manifest in a crowd, would he? She kept running until she turned south slightly again, darting down a narrow pathway that sounded like a group of people had been gathering. She had no idea where she was, partially lost because she rarely came down to this side of town. There were things in this side of town she was afraid of, like…. the Slave Market. Fresh terror infused her already traumatized form. Gods… The Slave Market!

Her behavior wasn’t becoming of a Favored of Akajia sure enough. But she was in the deep grip of her terror and until she calmed down, there was nothing she could do to stop her racing heart or her raging fear. And so she kept running, knowing lingering here would lead to nothing good. Kelski ran until there was no more breath in her lungs and no more strength in her limbs. She ran until she was on the verge of collapse, still hearing Darvin’s laughing threat in her mind. Finally, when she had no choice, she had to stop.

Kelski skidded to a halt in the midst of the slave market, on the fringes where the lesser quality human stock the populace was indifferent too lingered. It wasn’t bustling, truly, but at this hour was devoid of anything but the actual slaves themselves locked in cages. There were rows and rows of more private tents, but Kelski had no idea what was inside. She’d passed the exotic, the expensive, and the skilled. Instead, she’d came upon what was horrifically labeled as meat.

Humans as meat? The Kelvic panted, fighting for breath and felt herself sway. She reached out and grasp a set of bars that was nearest to her. There were several dozen people in the cage if you could call them people. The stench of them overwhelmed her sensitive nose even as she bowed down, hands still grasping the bars like talons. Misery rolled over her, mingled with the scent of wounds that had gone to festering and the soft sounds of pain. It came from the cage.

Death lingered there… Not the death of Darvin’s kind but the death of Dira paying a visit soon. Kelski crouched down, the wet leather of her tight pants causing her to flinch where it had rubbed her inner thighs raw. She turned away from the bars and looked behind her, half expecting the ghost chasing her to manifest. It did not. He did not come… not yet. But Kelski knew better than to know she was safe.

Closing her eyes, with no one else but the misery in the cage behind her to witness it, she sank down on her haunches, rump resting on her heels, and back pressed against the bars. She breathed deeply, trying to center herself, trying to calm her racing nerves.

She almost jumped when The Sea Eagle felt a hand on her shoulder, gentle but reassuring. Blue eyes stared out of a dirty bruised almost wasted face. She could not tell if the figure was male or female, for their hair was long but tangled and coated with what looked and smelled like dirt and feces. The deep croaking voice answered her question of gender. “Don’t let them catch you. Don’t let your fear cage you.” He said almost silently. “Get up. Fight on. Keep going. There is safety in this city if you can find it.” He breathed the words, so there was no sound to it. And in his touch Kelski felt something… something stir in her. His voice was a bridge that crossed the raging floodwaters of her terror and pierced the loneliness that was threatening to disable her.

Slowly, she pulled away and turned. Looking the creature in the cage over, she was about to respond when a harsh voice cut through the deepening darkness. “You there. Get away from that cage unless your buying!” A whipcord thin man walked up, looking about as disgusting as the creatures in the cage. She glanced at him and at the figure still crouched in the cage. Something tore at her, a whisper in her mind, and she refused to move. A deep anger rose in her. “I’m buying.” She said softly and pointed at the man who’d spoken to her. She still didn’t know his age, his situation, or even if he would live through the night.

“That one.” She affirmed.

The stranger shook his head. “You don’t want that one. He can’t even get up. A useless broken fighter, that one. He’ll probably never walk again. Good for dog food though, if you have those at home…. or even to trade for the Zith as food. That’s where this lot is going tonight. Zith will come get them.” the man added.

As if to call the guard a liar, the creature with the bloody hair and coated in feces rose to his feet. He used the bars to steady himself, but he rose nonetheless. Then he took a step forward, towards he door, as if to prove the other man’s words wrong.

Kelski hated this. She hated the buying and selling of flesh, but she didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to lose the one connection that had broken her out of the terror of Darvin’s visit. Kelski dug in her pocket. “How much is he?” She asked.

She had a few coins. The wretch wouldn’t cost much. “A thousand. He was a respectable fighter at Tall Johnny’s.” The man answered. Kelski shook her head.

“I’m not stupid. I’ll give you this ring for him, its worth at least 400 gold, maybe 500…. And that’s more by twice than he’s worth.” She said, shaking her head and holding the ring out for the guard’s examination. The man started to take it but she closed her fingers around the ring and opened her overcoat to display the bandolier of daggers. “Let him out first. Then you can have it.” She added.

The guard grumbled but nodded, unlocking the cage and letting the man out. The man stumbled out, truthfully not walking easily and swaying on his feet. When the cage was fastened again, Kelski gave the man the ring and gestured to the swaying stranger. “Come on. I have places to be.” She said softly, watching the man with her ring suspiciously and then reaching out to wrap an arm around the stranger and let him lean on her.

The guard muttered to himself, shaking his head at what he thought was Kelski’s obvious stupidity, and watched her walk away with the slave. He didn’t notice her own soiled pants or the fact that she was paler than a human should be. He didn’t see the whites of her eyes showing or understand how much she stank of fear. Kelski didn’t know how the slave knew… but he did. And even as he limped painfully along with her, he spoke to her… quietly and carefully.

“Do you have a place to shelter?” His voice was soft, gentle, but broken like his body. He didn’t have much breath to talk to her. But the contact was enough. The human touch on the Kelvic’s form that was starved for any sort of attention calmed immediately.

“Yes. But it’s a long way from here… near where the Mudway flows into the sea. Can you walk that far?” She asked softly, lending him her strength, letting him lean on her much like she had lent Gilthas her strength two seasons ago.

“I damn well sure can try.” He whispered, answering her question with a thread of stubbornness in his voice. Kelski admired that about him, for if she knew nothing else, she knew he had spirit. So they continued onward, winding through the southern part of Sunberth, weaving down narrow alleys and finally working their way back to the main road where they could cut through the Sunset Quarters and take the short way to Baroque Bay.

It was slow and painfully going, their steps growing shorter, heavier, and taking them with less and less alacrity towards Baroque Bay. And before long, as Kelski feared, both of them slowly began to see their breaths in front of them as the air super cooled and Darvin materialized beside them. He paced on Kelski’s other side, looking over the pair and snickering menacingly.

“Kelski….” He whispered in a dark and ethereal voice. “Kelski… the company you keep.” He said, shaking his head in disgust. His words were tinged with mirth though, and Kelski wondered even as her emotions swarmed out of control if he fed on them… her feelings… her terror.

The Kelvic started to tremble, her fear rising again. The arm she held around the slave gripped him tighter as she tried to control her shaking. The man beside her looked up from his twisted matte of hair and glared at the ghost on the other side of Kelski.

“Death becomes you, Darvin.” The slave said quietly, white teeth flashing beneath the filth and blood that coated his face.

Words: 1659

[Kelski]

The ghost paused for a moment at the slave’s words, missing half a stride of his ethereal travel, before he picked up the pace again – flanking the pair. Kelski noted it, even through her terror, and continued on, focused only on getting back to The Midnight Gem… and getting back alive. She was shaking hard, even though she was still trying to support the broken man. The slave was in bad shape, but for all that, his grip on Kelski seemed to tighten and lend her strength she was certain he did not have.

True night was upon them now, with the weak torches and lanterns from intact and broken windows all around them casting sulfurous illumination on what passed for streets. It made the situation even more critical. Darvin seemed to grow stronger as twilight fell into night and the shadows grew longer, thrown by artificial light rather than the sun. Kelski didn’t look at him, didn’t give him any sort of acknowledgement even though the man she supported did.

Darvin was still puzzling over him. “I’m trying to think of how I would know a piece of broken shit caged with the rest of the animals being sold for meat. I can’t seem to recall it. Unless I sold you a lot of drugs.” He said with a dead grin, his ghostly teeth rotten as they somehow reflected light that did not illuminate them.

The conversation seemed so…. ordinary… to Kelski. A ghost and a half dead slave were talking like two normal people would. Kelski exhaled again, her breath icy, and she continued to shiver in Darvin’s proximity. Her sodden leathers were cold now as well, and the acrid smell and rawness that was coming from them rubbing at her thighs distracted her.

The man on the other side of her stumbled and she tightened her grip on him. He hissed in pain and she realized suddenly his ribs were probably bruised or broken where she gripped him. She whispered softly under her breath. “I’m sorry…” then glanced at Darvin. The ghost was still puzzling over how the slave knew his name. Darvin drifted then, passing straight through Kelski who cried out in terror and then on through the stranger to walk at his other side.

She almost dropped the slave and ran. Instead, she held tightly and her trembling redoubled. Kelski was truly terrified of Darvin. He was already dead. She couldn’t kill him. She couldn’t control him. And there was no escaping him.

“There’s something familiar about you… “ The ghost mused, still stalking the pair. All Kelski could think of was that Darvin’s curiosity was driving him crazy, stalling him, and allowing them to slowly get closer to the Midnight Gem. Even though she was scared… scared crazy… Kelski could do almost nothing but move forward. Forward was safety. Forward was that stuff… that substance that could coat her weapons and wound Darvin. Kelski vowed to get some from Anja when she saw him at home next. She vowed to never leave home without it and perhaps get the Spiritist to teach her how to make it. Perhaps she could even get him to get rid of Darvin. One could kill a ghost couldn’t one? No… Anja said it made no difference. But the Night of the Masks, Anja had somehow warded The Midnight Gem against them, and that would make them at least safe from him…

But could she live forever inside The Gem? Could she walk through life always in fear of this spirit? Darvin had somehow attached himself to her and she didn’t take his threats lightly. It was horrible… absolutely horrible to be free and yet not able to be free of the things that scared you. It was a waking nightmare, one that she wasn’t waking up from and one that somehow this stranger who’s arm was draped over her shoulders and her arm was around had willingly stepped into it with her.

They just had to get to The Midnight Gem. Forward. One step at a time… carry the man… bring him along. Somehow Akajia had made it so these two had ran into each other. Kelski didn’t know why, but she didn’t question it. Not now… not until they were safe and there was time later.

Darvin suddenly started laughing. He tilted his head back and belly guffawed as if he just saw something as funny as he’d ever seen in his life. Kelski nearly jumped out of her skin, even as the stranger’s grip on her tightened. She hissed her unhappiness even as Darvin kept laughing.

“I thought you were dead.” The ghost said abruptly. “Last time I saw you, they dumped you in the blood pits with ten other fighters. Ten on one wasn’t good odds. How in the world did you walk away, Dess?” Darvin said, reaching out as if to thump the man on the shoulder, though his hand passed right through the slave.

“Kelski… my dear little bird. You are in the presence of greatness. This man… this bastard… is one of the best blood pit fighters we’ve seen in a while. He’s broken though… broken and defeated. He cost too many rich privileged people their purses and they arranged for his fall. I have no idea how he managed to end up in chains, but its amusing in the very least. And you bought him? You always did have a soft spot for other people’s toys. How is my statue by the way? I want him back.” Darvin said abruptly, changing the subject as if he’d just thought about Little Rhaus.

“You can’t own things. No one should. Besides, you are very dead.” She spit out defiantly, though the words were broken and spoken through shaken lips. This just seemed to amuse Darvin more. He continued laughing.

“I own you, Little Bird. I own your fear. I own your terror. I even own your nightmares. I’ve owned so much of you.” Kelski willed Darvin to shut up… especially with the stranger she supported listening. She knew he wasn’t doing well and might be progressing forward in a haze of agony and not really registering what Darvin was saying… but then again… he might. Kelski couldn’t look at him, nor at the man she supported. Her eyes cast down and she pushed forward, blindly, depending on her feet to know the way without the support of her mind.

But Darvin didn’t stop. He went on to list all of her he’d had and how much he’d enjoyed taking it. Somewhere along the way, with Darvin running down the list, Kelski was clenching her teeth so hard she bit her tongue and tasted blood. She’d moved beyond shivering in fear and was outright quaking in terror. A detached part of her mind noted the reaction, noted how much this spirit affected her, and just wanted him to end.

Dess said nothing. Kelski didn’t know if he hadn’t heard or he was so lost to his pain that he couldn’t answer. They kept moving… and then Kelski noted the cobbles beneath her feet were familiar. Glancing up and ahead, she saw The Midnight Gem. Darvin kept talking, kept prattling on, even as Kelski took a step off the street and half dragged Dess up the stairs to the doorway.

Darvin couldn’t follow. Anja had somehow warded the property against ghosts, and the ex-Dragoon was stuck on the street. He cursed loudly, threw himself against some unseen barrier, and roared his dead rage. Kelski didn’t linger to witness the tantrum. Instead she turned, the door swung open of its own volition, and she half dragged the man inside. Truthfully, she was shaking so hard he reciprocated the service and they stumbled to a halt in the middle of the showroom as the door swung itself closed and locked itself.

“What madness is this? Did that door open on its own then close and lock itself?” Dess said, his voice incredulous. He swiveled his head around at Kelski, but she wasn’t listening. She started forward, headed for the stairs when the Midnight Gem shifted them neatly into the Living Quarters above the shop in some unseen fashion that Kelski barely understood. It was as if it folded space and time, reconfigured itself and made the distance not an entire staircase but only a single step between here and there.

She staggered to a halt, swiveled, and found the place empty. No one was home. “Hello?” She called out, helping Dess to settle himself down at one of the taller chairs at the table which she used to lean against as well.

“He can’t get in here. There’s a man who lives here… who knows about ghosts… who’s done something to prevent Darvin and people like him from crossing the threshold.” Kelski explained, uncertain what to say… uncertain what to do.

“Spiritist.” Dess responded, nodding. He said nothing, sat quietly, and she could tell he was trembling as well.

Kelski was slowly calming. Partly it was the fact that The Midnight Gem was a warm presence in her mind. The Gem’s love wrapped around her, comforted her, strengthened her even as it examined her fear and reviewed what it had witnessed with the ghost outside.

Dess spoke again. “Your spiritist should do something about that ghost. Dust him at the very least. He’s… hunting you. That much is obvious.” The stranger slave said, sighing softly and shaking his head.

Kelski changed the subject, going into full hostessing mode. It was a comforting fallback, something she knew that she could do to get her mind off things. “Can I get you food, a bath? Someplace warm to sleep? All of that?” She asked, turning to lean against the table still talking to him. “That specter said your name was Dess. Is that your name?” She asked abruptly, feeling awkward suddenly, enormously uncomfortable. She’d bought this man. And in the eyes of humans – and in his eyes – she owned him. It gave her no pleasure and instead brought bile up her throat.

“Yes. My name is Dess. And I would very much like a bath, perhaps some food, and a nice warm place to sleep… in that order.” He paused then, disquieted. “I would also like to know…. why you took me with you. Why you purchased me… meat… from that cage.” He said, his voice taking on a hollow tone. “I make a very poor slave. And if that is your intentions, I wanted you to know that ahead of time.” He added, though in Kelski’s mind she thought his voice had faded quite a bit.

“I’ve been where you are. I will keep no slaves of my own. You are free to come and go as you please, even to leave this place when you are well enough. You are a free man as of right now. I brought you with me, bought you even, so I would not have to take the trip alone across town. Without you being there, I don’t think I would have made it. That Ghost… he affects me. Thank you.” She said softly, admitting the truth to him.

He nodded, unspoken understanding passing between them. And then Kelski took him under her arm again, and helped him down the hall to one of the baths where she could see to his bath and fix him something to eat. He could sleep in whatever empty room he wanted, and when they were more rested in the morning they could talk.

She had no idea what his plans were, but she knew he was hurt. She’d have Ebon tend his wounds if the Night Lion wanted too when he returned from wherever he was. Kelski would also find Ember, wake her, and let her know they had a guest that was welcome as long as he wanted to stay. Then she’d take her own bath, eat a bit, and find her own bed. The morning would come soon enough… and with the morning so too would a talk with Anja. Kelski didn’t want to be unprepared ever again.

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[Kelski]

G R A D E S

Kelski

Architectrix +2, Acrobatics +1, Teaching +1, Running +3, Meditation +1, Negotiation +1, Business +1, Psychology +5, Strategy +1, Endurance +5, Leadership +2

Sunberth: Filled With Darkness/Smothering Her, Kelski: Very Lonely, The Gem: Would Move, Acrobatics: Walking on Roofs, Psychology: Trying to understand ones own mindset (restlessness, fear, depression), Darvin: Bothers Her Just As Much As He Does As A Ghost, Psychology: Dealing With The Aftermath of Rape, Darvin: Threats To Possess Her, Psychology: So Terrorized One Becomes Violently Ill, Psychology: Soiling Oneself In Terror, Psychology: Being So Afraid One Can’t Think, Running: Running In Terror, Running: Until One Collapses, Slave Market: Sections Labeled As Meat, Psychology: Trying To Calm Oneself, Dess: Helped A Stranger From A Position Of Helplessness, Dess: Mannerism and Appearance, Dess: Knows Darvin, Psychology: Protecting Her Purchase Better More Important Than Running

Note: Acquisition of a slave named Dess for 400 GM.

PM me with questions or concerns.