Mind, Body and Sold (Nyxie, Ren / GM-Kuvarakh)

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

“I’m cold.”

No answer.

“…And I’m really hungry,” she whined, a little louder this time.

Still nothing.

“…Um… can I go to the bathroom?”

She heard a low grunt. The man walked out of the shadows, his ominous expression now chillingly lit with red light. He faced her and stayed silent.

“I said I--- ”

“Shut up!” He yelled, slapping his hand across her cheek. The sounds echoed against the stoned walls, loud and menacing. “Not another word. Or I’ll make you put those lips to better use.”



Nyxie whimpered in defeat; it had only been ten chimes since she’d gotten herself chained up, and she was already starting to get restless. Tears rolled down her reddened cheeks. Crying wasn’t going to help her get out of this, but she couldn’t do much of anything else.

She knew this business for what it was, so she was certain she wouldn’t be severely harmed. They wouldn’t want to sell damaged property. But what worried her was the very idea of becoming someone’s slave. Nyxie hated being subordinate. She hated being helplessly shackled to a wall; unable to roam about as she pleased, forced to obey the command of another. It infuriated her. The mere thought of complete obedience made her wrench her hands, trying as hard as she could to rid the petching metal manacles. The attempt proved futile. Instead, it made Nyxie’s mind start to flood with fears of losing her freedom. The freedom she worked so hard to gain.

There was no way she’d let herself be trapped here. She had to try something.

Nyxie started to think about what happened while being dragged through the Underground. She couldn’t remember very much; her body was drained of every ounce of strength, and her thoughts were filled with utter hopelessness. But she recalled an oddity from the conversation between Joren---er, Verek---and Shenan. Something about ‘her mind’ being ‘spiked’… What’d that mean? Drugs? Nyxie’s eyes widened in fright, the moment she realized that Ren was in danger---Shenan was going after her---but wait…

...Ren. Her name. It sounded strange to her. Nyx couldn’t figure out why; but it bothered her. She shook her head to try and clear her tired mind, wanting to concentrate on figuring out a way to escape, instead of worrying about trivial details.

Nyx needed to gain Verek’s attention. He couldn’t hurt her. So why hold back?

She had to reign in a couple sniffles first, in order to regain her composure. After clearing her throat, Nyxie spoke with as much confidence as she could muster, with the very little courage she had left:


“How big is your package?”

Verek’s face twisted in obvious confusion, startled by the question. “…What?”

The redhead smirked, trying her best to give him a look that said she was being completely serious. She hoped she could fool him by surpressing her total disgust and racing heartbeat. As inexperienced as she was, Nyx had to play her cards right if this pathetic plan was actually going to work.

“I wanna know if I’m going to enjoy being petched. Isn’t that why I’m here?”

[Kuvarakh]

Verek had the pattern down very well by now. He'd refined it with a few years of practice. Of course, he would have to truly rape the Svefra girl a few times. 'It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.' he smirked to himself, anticipating one of the primary perks of the female slave trade with their unscrupulous Akalak cohort. When Kirby got back with the other one, they'd make an evening of it. Letting both girls see each other being helplessly ravaged would make the hypnotically empowered sense of hopelessness take root that much faster. It was important for their will to be utterly broken, so when the Akalak "rescued" them, they'd simply accept HIS leash in gratitude for their confused sense of freedom. If they still had too much spirit left, they might still try to break free, even from their so-called rescuer. It had happened before and the Akalak had made it quite clear that he would take the cost of the trip out of their hide if it happened again. But first, was to ingrain the shame of pleasure-slave status on them. It didn't really matter if a round of hypnosis preceded the actual rape. For every one time they were raped, he would impose a wretched "No...not again...please...someone help me..." backdrop of emotional despair in their thoughts. Get them convinced that they'd been had over and over again. So many times, it had become a blur. Of course, they couldn't really indulge that much. The Akalak wanted "fresh" women. Then he would build an underlying sense of 'deserving no better' by saying things along that line and following it up with another mental wracking of hypnosis, filling their heads with the self-loathing thought that 'He's right...we're just a couple of no-good whores.' Soon, they'd be so filled with disgust at their wanton lusts, they'd be grateful for anyone to "free" them, and put them to an honorable purpose. Like being a brood mare for a noble race on the cusp of extinction. ______________________________________________________________________ Kirby knew Verek would have rolled his eyes and called him a wimp, but he avoided the graveyard whenever he could. It was the faster way topside, and when Verek went with him, they'd go that way. But not alone. 'Petch Verek! If that girl's got any sense she'll stay away from that creepy place anyway, all cold and misty. It gives me the willies.' He DID pause a moment to listen for cries of fright, but heard nothing. He'd call that good enough if his partner asked him. That "Ren" girl hadn't struck him as being possessed of a powerful backbone anyway. Just 'cause she was hypnotized with a compulsion to follow her friend didn't mean she'd go through Dira's Dungeons to do it if she didn't have to. Anymore than HE would. He went around. It was quite some time before he realized he may have underestimated her resolve and came back down from the surface streets to check on the status of their efforts. Consequently, he did not realize that Ren had noticed that the neurotic muttering of a girl that passed her by featured the frequent mention of the names "Kirby" and "Verek", along with an extensive salting of unflattering expletives. Their was an odd set to her ears. They seemed a bit..."floppy", for lack of a better term, and she seemed to leave her tongue lolling from her open mouth as she proceeded through the labyrinthine streets of the Underground. She was too caught up in her glum chatter to notice if someone chose to follow her, as long as they used extreme caution. And the odds that there was another "Kirby" and "Verek" would be very unlikely. This strange girl, who occasionally made third-person references suggesting her own name to be "Molly", eventually came to a nondescript door down a dark alley and halted. She seemed to consider for a moment, then crept up to the door, opening it very quietly and sneaking inside. She did not close the door behind her, perhaps the fearing the sound of the latch would betray her presence to whoever was inside. ______________________________________________________________________ Verek ignored Nyxie's attempt to defy what was coming. He was just finished setting the exact approach he wanted for the first stab of shame he was going to inflict on Nyxie in his own mind. Now it was time to transfer the beginnings of self-loathing into this drugged and weakened girl. He had high hopes that this would go just as smoothly as it had so many times before. 'All these young girls...good looking, sexy young girls...I got to get my fun out of all time and again...and then sell 'em off fer big money to the Akalak...Nikali's Nut! I love my job!' There had to have been dozens of them by now. He refocused his thoughts to those of low self-esteem and despair and opened a djed bubble to overlay Nyxie's mind. There would be no coming back now. "VEREK! YOU BASTARD! I KNEW YOU WERE PETCHING OTHER GIRLS BEHIND MY BACK!" a women's voice suddenly shrieked. Verek spasmed with a gasp and lurched upright to spin with an angry retort. The connection he'd established with Nyxie was broken with no subtlety whatsoever. One moment there had been an odd echo of this other woman's screaming, as if it was coming from two sources simultaneously, the next there was just the usual tone. One moment a weird feeling that her head was..."stretched"...somehow, the next, it felt normal. Verek berated Molly mercilessly, calling her a "crackpot whore" and reviling her with the accusations that it was only because she had let herself become so filthy and disgusting that he could hardly be blamed for looking elsewhere. Adding that she should remember where he and Kirby had found her and how much she owed them. He belittled her as his bond partner and emphasized with contempt the lousy job she was doing at it with her sneaking around as if she didn't trust him. Of course, he said nothing to indicate that there was anything going on here besides kinky, consentual fun. She sagged quickly in a self-loathing defeat and began begging him for forgiveness, falling to her knees in tears. He suddenly hissed that she couldn't have shut the door or he would have heard the bell ring. He stormed out of the room, leaving her and Nyxie together. It was only a matter of luck whether or not he would come upon Ren.

[Renate Winterflame]

oocSorry again for the wait, and that I rambled a bit (see: a lot) with this one. I am pretty sure I'll be able to get back to my regular speed nowadays.

The voice that crawled out of the rusty darkness was not much different than the thirteen others that had whispered in the peripheries of Ren's rattled mind. It was just as tremulous, just as ethereal, just as angry and personal and aimless. The place was so blatantly haunted that she found a sort of comfort in her own wholeness, the weight of her shaking hands and the noise of her careful feet--though perhaps not in her fatiguing sanity.

She was almost disappointed to find another real and physical body emerge from the fog; the broken illusion made her forget to hide, and then it made her wonder how many other voices had belonged to real people with real eyes and real accounts of her whereabouts.

Luckily for the lucky one, this person did not see her. The self-identified Molly was more concerned with the images behind her eyes than the realities before them, but even she seemed to know better where to go than Ren. If only to find her way back to the streets, Ren resolved to follow her. Curving around headstones until she was safely settled at Molly's back, Ren trailed her out of the graveyard like a rainbowed shadow. To an onlooker it might have seemed absurd how she crouched and darted and hid, but it was practice enough for a future mark, one who might be more aware.

She did not hesitate to pursue Molly across the threshold, slipping into the stale air within. The strange girl stormed across the room and to a second door, which was flung wildly aside to make room for her shrieking. Ren gasped at the outburst, and then she covered her mouth as if she could hold in the noise that had already escaped. Her frightened eyes glinted hazel in the low light as they rushed over her new surroundings.

A metallic shine struck her attention. It was simply a piece of shrapnel, but judging by the crusty remains on one side might have once been used as an eating utensil. She descended on it, clutching its duller end in a hesitant fist. The second door was ajar, but though she could hear Verek's voice she could not tell where he was, how close he was to the door.

The answer came soon enough. Ren held her breath as he passed her, apparently oblivious to her place in the prevalent shadows. That was her chance, to have him from behind (as it were) and cripple him while he wasn't looking. But as the keys jangled on his exasperated legs, Ren found herself stunned. She could not move, could not bring herself to use her makeshift weapon. Not yet. By the time she came to her senses, he was too far to catch. She could only scramble for the door, leaving it a little wider open than it had been before.

Her eyes widened when she saw Nyxie, a swarm of confused colors whorling in them before she settled on aquamarine disappointment. She could not apologize, could not mourn the state of her friend's crumpled body and tear-streaked face. She could only crawl behind a low table and the boxes beneath it, trying not to think about what they contained.

Though she knew it was a risk, Ren had to make sure Nyxie was okay--or at least that she knew they help had come. She peeked out of her hiding place, just a little, assessing the new room. But before she could meet the Svefra's eye, she found another. Could Molly see her through those desperate tears? Ren lifted a panicked finger to her lips and made a face like a game. Then she retreated to her shelter and opened her ears.

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

Hm. No response. It’s probably small, then.

She stifled a giggle. It was a wonder that Nyxie could manage to find a scrap of humor in such hopeless circumstances. There she stood, helplessly chained with no chance of escape, and all she could think about was whether or not she would enjoy being petched. The girl knew little about the act, having never experienced it for herself; but she knew the pleasure of arousal, and she wondered whether becoming a slave would allow her to find out more about---

"VEREK! YOU BASTARD! I KNEW YOU WERE PETCHING OTHER GIRLS BEHIND MY BACK!"

The Svefra’s blue eyes bulged open as she gasped out of utter shock and sudden fear. There stood a woman shouting loud profanities at Verek, and the pair started to get into an argument, but Nyxie couldn’t focus on whatever they were saying. She froze, almost paralyzed by the voice that seemed to ring inside her mind. The voice that was identical to the screaming woman in front of her---the voice that made her feel like something was distorting her head. She couldn’t figure out what had just happened.

But it managed to spark a flash of courage⎯

What was I thinking?! Oh my gods! I have to get out of here!!

Her focus zeroed in on the conversation between the strange woman and Verek, trying to catch whatever detail could potentially be useful. ‘Crackpot whore’? Ah, she’s a drug addict. ‘Looking elsewhere… owing them… bond partner… trust…’

She doesn’t know?

It dawned on Nyxie that this woman might be her key to escape. Blue eyes glimmered with an ounce of hope as Verek left the room. Now was her chance.

“Psssst,” she hissed, trying to get the woman’s attention. The redhead put on an exaggerated face of desperation, hoping to garner as much sympathy as she could. It wasn’t hard to do; she could already feel the tears start to well in her eyes. “Please, please help me get out of here! I’m so scared,” her cries were sincere now, the flow of sorrow and pain in her voice sounded like that of an abused child. “I wanna go home, I don’t want him to hurt me! Pleeease, I’m begging you~” Nyxie had never pleaded so hysterically before. It was something she hoped that she’d never have to do, ever again.

Whether the woman understood her, she did not know; but her eyes followed when the addict turned to look under a table.

Was that… Ren?

A finger to lips, her savior clearly wanted them to stay quiet. Nyxie knitted her brows in confusion, wondering if Ren knew what she was doing---did she have a plan? Nyx saw her hand gripping something that looked sharp, impatiently hoping that the girl knew how to use the thing to unlock the shackles. She stared directly into Ren’s eyes and gave her a small but grateful smile. Nyx imagined how difficult it must’ve been for her to come back for her---the Svefra knew that she’d be forever indebted, if these women managed to rescue her.

There wasn’t much else that Nyxie could do besides wait for the ‘crackpot whore’ to say something.

Gods, please, make her take pity on me…

[Kuvarakh]

Verek's voice called from outside the cracked doorway, "MOLLY! Are you talking to that slut? Cut it out, she's not nearly ready yet. I was only getting started on her when you interrupted me, you ignorant petching bitch!" Molly's gaze fixed on Nyxie, partly confused, partly resentful, partly wistful. Was there a sliver of sympathy there? It was hard to tell. She looked back to the door from where Verek's voice had come. "I thought you were going to have her hypnotized by now. When is the Ak-..." she began, her voice timid and hurt. She was cut off by Verek's angry bellow, "SHUT UP YOU STUPID GASH! YOU WANT TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY? WHAT THE PETCH IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" his voice grew quickly louder as he stomped into the room. There was another round of slaps and cries as he shoved her against a wooden cabinet and kicked her to the ground, ordering her to pick up the fallen clutter from the impact. She in tears and cringing piteously as she offered up abject apologies. But they only enraged him further as she explained her confusion being due to someone named 'Kuvarakh' having made it so he could do it faster. Verek's face was dark with rage as he grabbed the girl by the throat, lifting her up and slamming her into the stone wall. "NOT ANOTHER WORD! NOT ANOTHER NAME! SHYKE, YOU DUMB WHORE HOUND, NOT A PETCHING SOUND!" He turned her tear-streaked face to face him as he glared, "That Nuit asshole wouldn't help me. And neither are you, with your big loud mouth. Too good for me, I guess, the self-righteous prick! Now quit your damned crying, you dumb flea-bag and make yourself useful! Go find Kirby and help him find the other girl." Molly stood confused, repeatedly muttering '...other girl?...' and looking towards where Ren was hiding. Verek stole over to where Nyxie hung in chained misery, apparently asleep or dazed. He gave a soft sigh of relief that Molly's clumsy mention of hypnosis had gone unnoticed. He turned around and saw that Molly was over by another table in the room, looking puzzled and anxious. "Why the petch are you still here? I told you to go help Kirby find that other girl!" He snarled. Molly recoiled, shaking her head in fear and confusion, muttering, "But...but...the girl...which...girl...but she's..." She had clearly seen Ren there and was trying to find the backbone to speak up, but was afraid she must be wrong about which girl Verek meant. Her voice grew into a terrified whine as Verek strode slowly towards her, his hands mimicking quivering claws, ready for more bullying violence. Near Molly's hand was a small pouch. She had bumped it and caused a small amount of some kind of powder to spill across the table's surface. Verek's anger erupted anew. "DIRA'S DOOM! You think that shyke is for you? You've had your "Poke" for the day. We don't pay to have that stuff smuggled in from Wind Reach to waste it on a petching runt like you! That must be three hundred miza's worth and you're not getting another COPPER of it, you hear me? With ears like that you petching well OUGHT to!" Molly brightened briefly in the realization that Verek had misunderstood what she was trying to point out. She wanted to tell him that the other girl was right there in the same room. But even the slight degree to which began to correct his mistake was taken as argumentative defiance. He slapped her hard, slamming her head on the table and slugging her hard in the ribs. She doubled over in pain and betrayal, unable now to speak even if she wanted to. The next chime was a savage display of sadistic torment as Verek berated her, punctuating his heartless assessment of her worthlessness with his fists and boots accenting every other syllable. His voice was a snake's hiss as he promised her death, the only matter left to be decided by her obedience being the manner in which it would be accomplished. He left her slumped and gasping on the floor in bloody tears as he roared out the door, shouting back that he would damned well find Kirby himself.

[Kuvarakh]

OOCRenate has RL issues and has instructed me to ease her out of the story. As soon as his angry footsteps faded from hearing, Ren stood and hurried to Molly, torn with an awkward need to both give comfort and also find keys to free her friend. Ren found an easy path to gain the Kelvic's empathy as Molly begged to be believed that she had not been after the drugs. The miserable girl's voice trembled as she insisted that she could have them whenever she wanted, but was trying to resist the urge to please her master, Verek. "But he doesn't care, anymore! I try to do what he wants, I try to make him happy! I TRY! I..." She suddenly seemed aware that she had been about to admit her intent to reveal Ren's hiding place to appease him. Tears sprung anew from her blackened eyes as her gaze fell in distress. She winced as the salt stung the lacerations on her face. "I...I don't know...what to DO anymore." Ren turned to her with a soft pat on the cheek. She tipped the tembling face up to hers and smiled. "Look, I understand. Can you help me release my friend? I'm sure she would be willing to take you with us. WE need someone who knows the way out, and YOU need someone that knows what to do when we GET out." She cast an earnest look to Nyxie. She did not know for certain that Nyxie wished to bring Molly with them, but her face silently urged agreement to her spontaneous terms. Molly's face beamed suddenly with unexpected hope.You would...take me WITH YOU? You really would? Oh please, yes, please. I can not stand it here anymore. But is it safe for me...out there? Verek says that the people of Alvadas hate...my kind...That they hunt them and hang their skins from their halls and homes. PLEASE don't tell them I'm a Kelvic! I want to go with you. I can show you the way out." She capered about with excitement, at the same time as Ren tried to hush her for fear of being heard by unfriendly ears. "Okay, okay Molly, Shhhhhh...Don't believe what Verek tells you about the Alvads. You'll be perfectly safe up there. Now you find the keys, I will go watch for them in case they come back. Are there any weapons we can use around here?" Molly sagged noticeably, shaking her head, "The good ones are locked away, and I don't have that key. Really, I'm not supposed to have ANY keys. But Kirby lost a pair a year ago and I found them...Oh no..." clearly a new source of distress had reared its figurative head as the hope began to drain from the Kelvic girl's eyes. She took a step toward Nyxie, "Verek replaced the locks on the leg chains! I can only unlock your arms...And that cabinet by the desk..."

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

Nyxie stared at Molly with sullen eyes and silently prayed her thanks to the Gods. She nodded at the Kelvic, forcing a smile.

“Yes, it’s fine,” she croaked, her throat dry from partial dehydration. “Unlock them both; just be quick about it, alright?”

It was certainly an asset to have this woman be so eager to help them out. But the fear of getting caught before they could escape started to eat at her courage. They were so dangerously close to freedom; yet seeing Verek beat the shyke out of Molly left Nyx feeling nothing but uneasy, knowing her fate would be worse if they somehow got trapped down here.

As Nyxie waited for the woman to release her, she backtracked through everything that had occurred just moments before, trying to piece together the most useful information. What did Molly say before Verek hit her? Something about being… hypnotized? The Svefra knitted her brows, unable to believe that such sorcery could ever be real…

But what about the ringing voice in her head? And the way her mind felt disoriented and…

There was a name. Something that started with a ‘K’. Molly mentioned it before she was brutally berated again. Nyxie turned her head to face the Kelvic as she wedged the keys into the lock, curious to find out more about Verek’s intents.

“Molly, I…” her voice was soft, attempting to sound as kind and as gentle as she could, despite feeling overwhelmingly frustrated with her circumstances. “I want to thank you, for agreeing to help us,” she paused, looking into Molly’s eyes while the last shackle slipped off her wrist.

She didn’t waste a second before her hands clasped onto the women’s shoulders.

“Molly, listen carefully,” Nyx’s grip tightened, watching her with unblinking eyes. “By the Gods, come with me and I swear to you that I will keep you safe and unharmed when we’re out of here,” she asserted with strong sincerity; every word was nothing but the truth. Nyxie needed Molly to believe her wholeheartedly. She needed her to know that she was nothing like Verek---that she would never hurt the innocent and weak.

The redhead ran a hand through the Kelvic’s hair, tilting her head and smiling at her with soft eyes,

“Open the cabinet. Show me what’s useful, and I’ll take it. We need to hurry out of here before it’s too late, so do it fast---clear?”

[Kuvarakh]

Molly's eyes were wide, and bright with hope, as she focused on Nyxie's words. She hurried to the cabinet and unlocked it. She pulled items out, looking for any additional keys. She placed several bottles of liquor on the table, along with a few small pouches of what she probably thought were herbs, and a handful of jewelry items. There were some small weapons of strange configurations. For the most part, they appeared to be of the type that needed special training and experience to use. Blades and clubs with handles and steel at odd angles, or strangely weighted designs, making it difficult to figure the exact approach one would use with it. Blades of varying thicknesses, with hooked ends or odd protrusions, and parallel bars better suited to catching hold of opponents' weapons that doing actual damage. One that even looked to made of some sort of twisted bone or horn. Chain linked extensions and rods, studded gloves bearing steel claws, and even a pair of bracers with blades extending to run alongside the forearm. As well there were items of clothing, although what first appeared to be scarves, landed with a loud "thunk", indicating that one or both ends were heavily weighted. There were also several pole-arms leaned into a corner, and a belt of throwing daggers. Most of these remained in the cabinet, however, as Molly looked frantically for more keys. She did grab a wicked looking dagger with a wide, serrated, serpentine blade though. It looked like it would deliver a truly ugly wound going in, and pull flesh with it coming out. There were two particularly interesting things she set aside as she looked, treating them as if they had no value. One was a book, with numerous scraps of paper stuffed within its well-worn pages. The other was a rolled-up wide band of leather, clearly containing a number of small metal implements. It had the look of some sort of kit, comprised of finely detailed pins, shims and wedges, all set in a loop system to keep them in place. The leather was finely worked and oiled. Molly rolled it open, revealing the set of lock-picking tools. She did not recognize it for what it was, and her mood sank into desperation as she started to cry out with what she assumed was failure. She had hoped it was keys, and remarked in despair how Kirby had always boasted that there was something in that cabinet that he could open ANY lock with. She had assumed it was some kind of special magic key. "It's just HAIR PINS!...or clock tools...or something." She cried in despair, swiping her arm across the table to send them, and the book, clattering to the floor. The book fell open, revealing it to be a ledger of some sort, filled with names, dates and miza records.

[Nyxie Nadira Draer]

The second Molly opened the cabinet, a huge grin materialized upon the Svefra’s face. It was as if she’d unlocked the doors to a strikingly lethal gift shop. And everything was free.

She shuffled over to the table, stumbling over herself as she tried to walk with the chains around her ankles. As soon as the Kelvic took out the first bottle, Nyxie snatched it from her hands and popped the top off before she brought it to her lips. She didn’t care what it was; all she needed was something to quench her thirst and put some spirit back into her veins. Sure, there was a chance the liquid could slow her down, but it was a risk that she was desperately willing to take. The redhead guzzled half the bottle before she chucked it aside, wiping a drop from her lip with the back of her hand. The indulgence was followed by a slow exhale of satisfaction.

Gods, that was delicious. And stupid. Stupidly delicious… Shyke, this better not kill me.

She chuckled as the shimmer returned to her eyes, gazing at the items Molly placed on the table. They all seemed like small, manageable things she could stuff in the pockets of her skirt. With a shrug and a hiccup, Nyx swiped two pouches, a silver necklace, and a bronzed signet ring. She figured it’d be enough to use as a bribe, in case they came across someone who could help them along the way… but such was the reasoning of a girl who really just wanted to grab as much loot possible.

Nyxie turned to face Molly, listening to the Kelvic break down in anguish, knocking down what looked like a quality set of lock picks. Was this woman really so dense?

“Molly, calm down,” she exclaimed, trying to soothe her with a hand gently patting her back. “It’s okay, they’re perfect. Help me pick them up, alright?” Nyxie bent down, scooping up the picks and wrenches. She sorted through them, trying to find the one she’d need for the lock on her manacles.

“You can use that? Wait, how do you know?” Molly clearly wasn’t convinced. The Svefra sighed with tinge of annoyance. “Someone taught me,” she answered, remembering her father’s lessons. Svefra raids required skills in basic larceny, if you ever wanted to break into the treasures of a locked chest. “Just trust me, luv.” Hoping her reply was enough to kill her curiosity, Nyx went to work.

She bit her lower lip as she stuck the L-shaped iron rod into the bottom of the keyhole, using the wrench to apply tension to the walls on the inside. Every tick that passed was a tick closer to them getting caught, but the Svefra knew there was no way they could leave in less than five chimes. Nyxie absentmindedly shushed Molly so that she could hear the faint clicks as her other hand poked the pick into the upper part of the hole and then jimmied it around. The lock was a tough one. The resistance she felt made it obvious that it was newer than the ones she’d picked before. She visualized the inside of the lock, closing her eyes, willing herself to be patient and methodical despite her growing anxiety.

After what felt like an eternity, the lock gave way.

Nyxie tossed the chains to the side and scrambled up on her feet, dropping the tools into her pockets before rushing over to the cabinet. She started to breathe rapidly. The anxiety was getting to her. She wasn’t quite so calm anymore, and she was certain the drink had something to do with it. But that didn’t matter right now. They had to just grab whatever was the easiest to take and leave right away. The scarves were the first things she recognized, so she reached inside and pulled one out before loosely wrapping it around her neck. None of the other weapons looked familiar to her besides the assortment of daggers, so Nyx figured that taking the most interesting looking one would be the best way to go. She snatched the hilt of the serpentine blade and turned to face Molly with a wide grin on her face.

“Ready to go?”

The redhead took a few steps toward her guide, but was stopped when her foot kicked something to the side. It was a book.

“What the petch…”, she murmured, staring at the names on the pages. “Molly, what’s this for?” Nyxie picked it up, ready to toss it away in case it turned out to be useless.

[Kuvarakh]

Molly sighed heavily with relief at Nyxie's claim that the collection of narrow pins, shims, rods and flat wedges were actually important to her. But life had trained her to assume the worst until a positive change proved her wrong. She was the picture of anxiety as Nyxie had to take longer with the lock on her manacles than she'd expected. She had always seen Kirby just use the key. "Why is it taking so long?" she whined, fidgeting and pacing and casting worried looks in the direction of the door her brutal master would come through when he returned. Nyxie somehow managed to ignore her repeated urging to hurry, and after what seemed like bells to Molly, the irons popped open with a "clank". A small cry of both surprise and relief escaped her lips and she stared at the now-empty irons as though they were some sort of cruel joke, set to betray her with the reality that it was all just an illusion. Nyxie, in the meantime, rifled through the cabinet, stashing a few weapons and the fine set of thieves' tools in with the jewelry and drug pouches she'd already pocketed. She stubbed her toe slightly on the book that Molly had knocked to the floor. Molly was in the process of snapping herself out of a daze of disbelief when Nyxie asked her what the book was for. "Huh?...Oh that old thing?...I don't really know. Verek always kept it very close to his chest, like it was important. He's always writing little bits of stuff in it. Nothing like a diary or anything, just little notes. Usually right after he finishes some job. He slapped me around a few times for looking at it. Said there was nothing in there I need to know. I mean, I never really even looked in it..." she started to whimper, recalling more of Verek's abuse. "I was just dusting it off, to put it back clean, after cleaning the shelf, I mean, if I'm going to clean up something...why put ...something .....dirty ........what?" She saw Nyxie's eyes slowly grow wide, as the realization that this was Verek's records of his criminal transactions dawned on her. Molly's expression was a mix of confusion and gratitude at Nyxie's triumphant expression. She felt both elated and terrified when she saw Nyxie add it to the other items she had taken. Her laughter was broken and nervous. "Verek will kill you if he finds out you took that. He told me he'd kill ME just for looking at it." her eyes dropped with a look of nonexistent self-esteem. "He said it was a hundred times more important than I was..." She looked up, the desperation and pleading back in her voice and eyes. "You're still going to take me with you right?...I mean, I helped you, right? If Verek comes back and sees that you're gone...and his stuff is gone...and...and...hey, where did your friend go? Isn't she waiting for us?" As if in answer to Molly's observation, a scream sounded from outside. It was Ren. Her scream was answered by a male voice that sounded like Kirby. He shouted after her, in the classically stupid fashion of demanding that she come back. It took only moments to perceive that he was chasing her, or that she was deliberately leading him away from the building. Molly turned wide terrified eyes to Nyxie. "We have to go NOW. Please, before Verek comes back!"