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Kiona snorts. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Of course, however, her glow never went away. She couldn't help it, she was angry still. "And I was referring to the fact you said he used to be your friend. If he's your enemy, he might not help us, ya know."
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"Oh, he still is. Just we haven't talked in awhile now so were not very aqquainted anymore." He said, then looking around the town once they arrived at the entrance. "Okay, follow me and i'll lead you to his shop." He said, nudging his horse with his foot and galloping ahead. He turned and went down a rather dark alleyway to look for his friend Damien. Damien was two years older than Alexander, and lived further away then town tan most people, but he never seemed to be curious of Damien. Though many times when Ace had visited before Damien kept prisoners in his house and always had the same excuse 'They owed money to the fight club..'
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Kiona followed Alexander through the streets and out to the trackers place. She wondered if the man was actually going to help them or not. She sighs silently to herself. She wanted to get Katie back now. She wanted this to be over. Starting to get frustrated, Kiona started to glow a little again. A scowl appeared on her face as they got close to their destination.
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When they arrived they were in a very small alleyway that seemed rather nasty and dirty. He jumped off and knocked on the door, looking back to Kiona. He went over and tied their horses to a small post and then put out a hand for her so she could get down. "Here we are Mi'lady."
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Kiona snorts, and got off of Meairda without taking Alexander's hand. "Sorry. It's nothing personal. I'm just perfectly capable of getting down by myself." She looked at the building they stopped in front of. Then she sighs. "I hope he's nice either way." She smiles at Alex, hoping he understood what she meant...if he wasn't nice, she wasn't going to be either.
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Declan answered the door and stared wide eyed at Kiona. "Oh hello Alexander.." He said, smiling. "It's been so long since i've last seen you. But why come and see me, Damien?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. This of course was his fake name so that he could hide his slave trading business but of course he would have to let them inside. "How would you two like to come in? But DO NOT leave the front room." He stated, ushering them inside. The inside now looked clean. But you could hear small cries coming from his bedroom door, and the door to the other room. "Don't pay attention to my wife and children. What may I be of service for Miss Kiona?"
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As soon the opened and Damien stood there, her guards were up and hackles raised, so to speak. She entered the room and a scowl instantly spread on her face. "Tell me, why would your wife and children be crying out?" She wasn't already in a good mood, and she had a bad feeling. And she didn't know the man, nor did she agree with any kind of physical abuse...so there she naturally had to ask.
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He grinned. "Because our daughter recently died of Cholera. Any more questions?" He asked, looking agitated.
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Kiona watched him with hawk eyes. She shook her head. "Not at the moment." She turned to Alexander, a look on her face that said she didn't like this. She had a bad feeling.
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Alexander bit his lip. "Well can I speak with you about the problem at hand, outside? Kiona was great friends with who were looking for and doesn't like to hear about it." Declan had nodded and then followed him outside, but before the door was shut Alexander silently told her to look around for the cries.
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Without an instant of hesitation, Kiona went down the halls, ears perked for the cries of others. She opened the door of one room, eyes instantly looking like flames in the dark room. Now she was angry. The woman chained to the wall whimpered at the sight of her and cowered closed to the solid rock behind her. Kiona walked softly to her and laid a gentle hand on the woman. Her voice was a soft whisper and held none of the anger she felt. "Shh, sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you. I need your help. I want to get you, and all the others like you out of this place. Think you could do that for me? Could you be brave enough?" As she spoke, she gently lifted a hand to the chains and quickly melted through it. The cuffs around the wrists would come off at the estates later.
The woman nodded her head gently, tear streaming from her eyes at the idea of hope. Kiona smiled gently at her. "Good. Lets get them out and away from here." Quickly, within moments, they had most of them free. They were lucky and one of the slaves had a gift for unlocking everyone's locks but her own. She could unlock any metal lock...so her's had not been metal. Once Kiona got her free, she helped the first woman take charge and let them free. Kiona turned and walked back to the front room, eyes blazing and heat shimmering from her skin. The slaves were behind her, some shivering at the idea of seeing the man that captured them again. The redhead knocked on the inside of the door Alex had gone through, letting him know that she was ready to leave. And so were they. It was obvious that she was going to burn something before they did though, or someone. |
Katie sat up in the bed in the other room, hearing lots of footsteps in the hallway. "Help!" She yelled, trying to get her wrists out of the chains that had her tied to the bed.
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One of the newly freed slaves, one of the very few that still had her wits about her, heard the cry for help. She instantly turned aside and opened the door to Katie's room. Smiling the slightest little thing, she hurried to Katie's chains, looked them over, squinted one eye shut, tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration, and touched each cuff around the wrist. Instantly, they disappeared, leaving links of metal chain to fall to the floor. The 10 year-old girl grinned at Katie, took her hand and lead her out.
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Katie followed after the girl and looked wide eyed at Kiona. "Kiona?" She questioned, running over to her and wrapping her arms around her. "You found me! Oh thank lord.. I missed you all so much!" She cried, burying her head in Kiona's shoulder. "He's such an awful man!" She said, looking around to see if Declan was anywhere in sight.
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Kiona turned in surprise just as Katie hugged her. She hugged her friend back, squeezing tightly. "Oh thank the goddess." A tear sprang from her eye only to evaporate. She quickly let go of her friend as her body started to heat up rapidly. Her eyes were truly flames now and she was glowing...glowing brightly. She smiles sweetly at Katie. "If you can, take the others away from here. I have to...deal with someone." She turns to the door and opens it, flames licking at her hands. "Declan, I think we need to have ourselves a nice little chat." She hooks a burning hand on his arm, not willing to let go.
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Katie nodded and led the others outside with Alexander, who started to help her put them on the five horses (Since Declan had three). She then got on her own horse and let two other women sit behind her.
Delcan stared wide eyed at Kiona and stepped back. "Before you do anything harsh.. please let me speak of why I did so many horrible things!" |
Laughter filled the small alleyway, an evil, menacing laugh. Kiona no longer...looked like herself. Her hair had turned to flames flicking behind her to match the fire in her eyes. Flames licked up her arms. She went toward the man, danger in her every move. She spoke, heated words for a heated body. "You do not deserve that courtesy." Suddenly, one of her hands lashed out to hit him full force in the stomach. Her fire instantly took the opportunity and caught his clothing on fire, aiming to make the man a giant symbol of fire.
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Declan fell to the ground, screaming until he burned to death and was no more than a burnt charcoal body.
Katie smiled at the sight and rode up to Kiona. "Are you ready to leave now?" |
Kiona smiles up at Katie, a very faint thing. Her aura was fading. She nods. "I am. Jerrian will be happy, I think."
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Katie nodded. "I hope he's happy! If he's mad at you two then i'll calm him down.." She said, running her hand through her hair and then starting to follow after Alexander on her horse.
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Kiona smiles at that, this time the smile was a real one. She whistled for Freekor and he was by her side quickly. Just as she was about to mount, she went rigid, eyes wide and surprised as she fell to the ground, a blowgun dart sticking out of her neck. She quickly lost consciousness.
The men in the shadows loosed more darts, all aiming at the other slaves, Alexander, and Katie. They were nasty men, hired for just this type of purpose. They were men hired by the Arena Warden. |
First Katie fell, then Alexander, then all the slaves alongside them. And before Katie shut her eyes all she could see was the men coming towards them.
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Slowly, crimson eyes fluttered up and a moan escaped the fire-haired woman. She slowly sat up and blinked, trying to get her bearings. Her neck was sore and she put up a hand to rub it as she looked around the cell she was in. It wasn't dank per say but it was dark and smelled of human excrement. She scowled, seeing bars in the only opening that light spilled from. Going easy on herself, she stood slowly and softly padded over to the bars and looked around. Instantly, her eyes flashed the brightest red and her tan skin paled. She was in a corridor lined with cells and prisoners, some with armor on. She knew where she was.
She hit the bars, willing her magic to come into place and get her out. And hopefully others. But nothing came. There was a dull ache where her fire should have been. She looked down and saw the cuffs on her ankles. They weren't even metal but some clear material. She had seen it only a couple of times before. Magic containment. Those bastards. She looked around, trying to find any of the others. No one was in her cell. At least they were smart enough not to put me with others. "ALEXANDER?! KATIE?!" She wondered how long she would get away with shouting like that. Her voice raised higher as she realized how alone she most likely was. "ALEX!!!!" |
Katie woke up in darkness, but the small light in the corner of the empty room revealed that she was in a barred cage. She started to scream at the top of her lungs as her eyes filled with tears. She cried out in agony as she sat up, trying to bust down the bars with her weak hands. "NOT AGAIN!" She yelled. "Please, NOT AGAIN!" She screamed, curling up in a ball in the corner and rocking back and forth. "ALEX, KIONA! SOMEBODY!" She called, crying more and more.
Thats when an odd man came into the room and leaned down by her cage. "Listen Missy, your not strong enough for fighting at the moment.. But your good enough for breeding." He smiled, his teeth mostly black. He reached his hand in the cage and ran his hand through her hair as she screamed. "We'll be putting you in a nice outfit later and showing you to a group of men. Hopefully you'll bring us lots of money." He smiled, getting up. Thats when another man walked in and pulled her out of the cage. He stripped her down to nothing and drug her into a large white room and stood her in front of a window. Behind the window where about twelve men sitting in front of the window staring at her and starting to make bids on her. Ace woke up in a small cage and sat up angrily. "NO!" He screamed, banging the bars with his fists. He looked around with his crimson eyes when he heard Kiona. "KIONA? WHERE ARE YOU?" He yelled, wrapping his hands around the bars as her pushed his head to look out them. |
“ALEX? ALEX I CAN HEAR YOU!” Kiona stuck her through the bars as best she could with the restraints. She looked around and saw him, a look of restrained relief passing across her face. He was only a couple of cells from her, on the other side. Her voice was quiet and full of remorse. “I’m so sorry, Alex. Your okay, right? And Katie? Do you see Katie?”
Jerrian woke at pounding on the study door, not even aware he had fallen asleep. He had spent hours looking for Katie, Kiona and Alexander. They were so stupid for going alone. Groggily, he lifted himself out of his chair and opened the door, rubbing an eye of sleep. “Larl?” “Jerrian.” He came in and pushed the younger Lord ahead of him to seat him back into the chair he had exited. “We found were they were keeping Katie but we didn’t find them. Any of them.” He looked at his young friend, an expression on his face that was hard to read. “Something went on, Jerrian. We found Alexander and Kiona’s horses roaming free. You can imagine the havoc that damned fire horse was causing. We sniffed them out and followed the scents. The place we found was obvious a slave holding place. But…there were no slaves there and everyone was gone. We found a burnt body still smoking near the entrance and an obvious scuffle. The Galvines are hot on the trail. Hopefully it won’t dead end like before.” Jerrian watched Larl with nothing on his face but eyes turning into pale moons. “That…we…I…how…” He was tired and exhausted, and this news only made it harder for him to form a coherent sentence. “There was another scent there, though I imagine the burning man made it hard. Apparently, it’s some sort of herbal drug that acts like a tranquilizer. Mariska recognized it when the boys described the smell. It was faint but it’s something to go off of, I think.” Jerrian stood. “A tranquilizer?” His face went dark suddenly, his eyes flashing to a bright blue, nostrils flaring with anger. “The arenas. I’ve heard of kidnappings that involved a drug that knocked people out so that they could be taken quietly.” He walked quickly to a shelf of books and pulled one out. He flipped through it and pointed to a passage, showing it to Larl. “And only certain people use it. An assassin/mercenary tribe.” Jerrians man nodded his head. “I’ll gather a small group to check it out. And we’ll do it disguised. You need to stay and sleep more. You can come when you’ve done that.” Without waiting for Jerrians’ retort and saying no, Larl just turned and left, gathering a couple trusted and good men for their excursion. |
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