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Post by Moon_Song on Jul 28, 2010 17:21:58 GMT -6
"Come one! Come all! See the dancing foreign girl from lands unknown!"
The old man shouted outside the tent. He was the ringleader of the current band of bards she was traveling with. After this performance, she was likely to leave. She never stayed long with these groups. She didn't belong with them anyway
"No one knows where she came from. Her skin is dark, and her hair is white! She moves like a snake but with the grace of a feline!"
It would soon be show time. Nikita di'Rome sat cross legged upon dark blue cushions within the small, impromptu tent. Her posture spoke of years of training in the art of quiet and demur mannerisms. Her clasped hands rest on her lap. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was a slow steady rhythm. Had someone only just come in, she would appear to be sleeping. She listened to the noise and babble just outside the brown cloth of the tent. Out of the almost unintelligible banter of the patrons brought forth by the ringmasters advertising, bits of conversations could be picked out.
'Foreign girl?'
'Where....come from?'
'Probably a harlot...'
'Was goin' on?'
The usual comments it seemed. A few suspicious passers by, a drunkard, maybe a few children. So it would be the usual routine.
The musician, a male samisen player about three years her junior, opened the flap to her tent. "Show time, miss." Ah, so, it was time at last. Slowly, she opened her fiery golden eyes. The samisen player hesitated, mesmerized. After a silent moment, he shook his head, blushing at his behavior. "Uh, take your time." Was his quick reply as he exited the tent.
It must have been her eyes that had such an effect on him. They bright gold and piercing. The younger man was probably not used to such a striking feature on a woman.
With a deep sigh, Nikita stood, checking her appearance in the looking glass to be sure everything was in place. She attached the orange dancing sash to her gold cuffs, grabbed her tambourine, and opened the tent flap. She stepped out into a the bright morning light of the bustling market place to the sound of awed gasps.
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Post by Relairah on Jul 30, 2010 12:17:22 GMT -6
He had been wandering between towns for quite sometime now, partially because of curiosity. He had learned much about the different places and the people there. He knew which cities were more accepting of uncommon sights and which were more discriminatory. Who knew what specifically brought him to Arilnor now, maybe he just wanted to return for a time. Either way, he was one of the many townsfolk, ambling along looking at market supplies or talking of recent events. Well, at least those around him were. So, like them, he heard the man shouting about this 'foreign girl'. Ah, what the hell. Should be interesting, he thought.
Joseph had seen quite a bit of strange sights whether they be people, creatures, a mix of both, or other living things. He himself was one such example, though perhaps a bit less obvious about it in appearance. He was tall, built from years of training, with tanned skin. His dark brown hair hung loosely, accenting his face and rippling beneath the breeze about them as he moved. Usually, he wore all black and sometimes leather, though he found wearing such anywhere besides the city of Thor was, well, attention-drawing. So instead he wore a simple white shirt over dark pants and boots, and a simple cloak which draped over his shoulders. It hid his tattoo, but not the tear-shaped ember dangling from his neck on a silver chain. Overall, he wasn't too abnormal, until one looked into his eyes. They were bright golden, edged in oranges. They appeared alive with fire.
He stopped among the crowd, looking up at the set stage and watching as the girl stepped out of the tent with her tambourine, ready to dance. She was indeed a pretty thing, but with the awed gapes of everyone else, he simply watched, entirely curious for what she would do. And he couldn't help but wonder, perhaps like everyone else, what sort of blood ran through her veins.
As he watched her performance, he failed to notice, or perhaps simply ignored the commotion going on only a slight distance away and coming closer.[/color]
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Post by Moon_Song on Jul 30, 2010 13:49:05 GMT -6
As she usually did, she make a quick sweep of the audience. Typical residence of Arilnor. One, however, caught her eye. It was a man, just a random passer-by, but something about him made her pause, if only for a moment. His skin was dark, a few shades deeper than hers, and his hair was of a similar darkness, the length accenting his facial features. His dress was nothing out of the ordinary, as hers was, but there was something about him that was. His eyes. From where she stood, she couldn't see him with the utmost clarity, but it looked as if his eyes had no pupils.
Had she any less composure, she would have gasped. Now was not the time. Not wanting to waste a moment more, she adjusted her expression to that of a fiery temptress, and, with deliberate slowness, made her way to the center of the stage. With a last motion, she readied herself in the first position of the evenings dance; weight on her right leg, left leg bent and showing through her brightly colored attire, right arm gracefully held above, left arm framing her left hip. The samisen player strummed upon his instrument for a few notes. She let the music reach the audience, who no doubt had never, or at least rarely, heard such kind of music, before she moved. The song started out slow. It would make for a great build up.
With exact precision, she lifted and dropped her left hip with the pangs of the samisen. The tune picked up a bit, and she shifted her body to show her other hip doing the same motion. The crowd gasped and awed. Again, this style of dance was probably extremely strange, as well as mesmerizing, to them. She had seem the same reactions in may places before, but it still gave her a feeling of satisfaction.
Another pick up, and exactly on cue, she moved her hips, together this time, is a figure-eight patter. She put her arms into the equation now. They were out to either side, undulating in a smooth, snake-like motion. The crowd was getting into it. Cheering, whistling, more comments. Some began to put money into the pot in front of the stage. A sign that she was doing well. The song was up-beat and quick paced. A few began to clap their hand along with the music.
She glanced at the strange man as she danced. He was still there, watching her. Of course he would be watching, thats what everyone was here to do, but his eyes, his piercing, pupil-less eyes, made her feel different. Not quite uncomfortable, but something else.
She changed up her moves again, this time undulating her entire upper body while shaking her shoulders, casing the metal tassels on her braziers brooch to quiver. It was then that she head some sort of commotion coming their way. Was it authorities? If that was the case, why had the little runner boy not come and warned them? He had probably be captured. Shit.
She glanced again at the man. He hadn't noticed. In fact, no one in attendance did. Was she the only one? The samisen kept playing, and she kept dancing.
What was coming their way?
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Post by Relairah on Jul 31, 2010 21:11:09 GMT -6
He continued to gaze up at her, rather fascinated, just like everyone else. He noticed when she made eye contact with him, but thought little of it. At least for now. He watched her dance, so fluid and graceful, almost like a chant, something to draw the crowd into a trance of some kind. Not that that was her intention, but it might have a similar effect. He couldn't help the brief grin that came to his lips, though it faded soon afterward. Was it just him or had she gotten distracted, if only for a moment? He supposed it really didn't matter either way if she did.
She was a performer. She knew what she was doing. Still...
"Stop! Thief!"
Joseph turned at the shouts, and couldn't help the slight look of both amusement and curiosity on his face at what he saw. There was another man, coming closer at a rapid speed. He had lighter brown hair and skin, and dark eyes, bah he appeared only human. He was dressed also in common clothing only a shirt and pants and in his hands were various pieces of fruit. But perhaps that was only a disguise of his. He ran toward the crowd of people, a few other men chasing after him angrily shaking their fists. They were marketmen, just trying to sell their goods for a price much like many others. But this one guy had come along thinking he could take what he wanted. Not so fast!
The thief darted into the crowd, glancing up at the dancing girl and giving her a brief smirk. Everyone was mesmerized, following her every move like a cobra beneath a snake-charmer. Only perhaps this was backwards. She had charmed the people instead. In one fluid motion, he leaped from where he was running and landed on the stage, his hands now empty. Who knew what had happened to the fruit. Without hesitation, he darted toward the girl and attempted to sweep her into his arms and whisper something in her ear. Something most of the crowd wouldn't hear at all. "Try to get away, and I slit your throat."
His voice was rough. Who knew where he had come from or what he was doing... or even why he was doing it. The point was, he was attempting to steal her right from under everyone's noses![/color]
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Post by Moon_Song on Jul 31, 2010 23:10:07 GMT -6
The commotion grew closer and shouts could be made out.
Thief!
Get back here!
A common thief, was it? Something in the pit of her stomach made her doubt that. As she continued to dance, now with the sash and shimmy of the hips, she wished she had her sword on her. At the moment, it was safely tucked under her sleeping pillow in the back of the tent she had come out of, it's lacquered black sheath well hidden from view. From the corner of her eye, she could see that samisen boy and the ringmaster exchange nervous glances. Cowards. If the commotion went as far as authorities, they would bolt, running with their tails set firmly between their quivering legs.
As the mob grew ever closer, the one being chased wasn't hard to pick out. A man of darker-than-average-for-an-Arilnor-native skin and common dress was running at a rather fast pace, fruit firmly held to his chest. It was odd, not the scene itself, for it was not an uncommon sight in a market place, but this man carried no look of desperation that usually came with one who ran for their life. His aim was not to get away with the food. What was he...?
He looked up at her and smirked. She narrowed her eyes at him. As he headed through the crowd, startling the once dazed audience, the samisen player, fumbling with his instrument, decided it was as good a time as any to make his leave. As he ran, as only a gutless whelp could, he tripped on her tents wires, bringing down with him. As he scrabbled to get away, the ringmaster proceeded to grab the money pot just as the now fruitless man nimbly hopped onto the stage.
She hardly had enough time to drop the tambourine in her hand and reach for the hilt of her sword...and get only a handful of air. She cursed internally as the hostile man closed in and attempted to pick her up and take her. She braced herself just in time and in just the right way for him to only be able push her to the back of the stage. He seemed to realize she would not easily go, and his quick get-away was ruined. Instead, he grabbed her, pulling her close to him and whispered into her ear.
"Try to get away, and I slit your throat."
She almost had the urge to groan, had it not been for how uncomfortably close he was. This act, was it? The desperate run-away now taking a hostage. Was that his game?
For some reason, that didn't seem the case. Call it woman's intuition, but the situation seemed a little deeper than that.
What to do? She didn't have her sword, and too many people were present to use her abilities. Her voice gift? No, she would try do this without it. So, to kick this guys ass, question his motives, or, she almost shuddered, play damsel in distress.
It took only a moment to decide. She took heed of his threat, but refused to be moved. "What are you trying to do?" Her voice was stern and demanding. If this man was an Arilnor native, such resistance from a woman may anger him. That would make taking him down that much easier. When men got angry, they got sloppy.
By now, the once placated audience was running in all directions, scattered like a disturbed ant hill. None were brave enough to do anything, of course. They were commoners, farmers, merchants...not the kind to fight for the a strange foreigner. Had she been a lesser woman, she would have cried for help, but she knew better. Still, she glanced to where the man with the strange eyes had been standing. for some reason, she hoped he had not scurried off at the first sign of danger like the rest had.
((OCC:I hope you don't mind me dictating his actions there. If it's contrary to what you were trying to do with him, just let me know and I'll change it.))
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Post by Relairah on Aug 1, 2010 18:07:21 GMT -6
OoC: Actually, it's right with it pretty much xD I dun mind at all! Basically, my whole plan was to kidnap her lol ^^ *Rubs hands together as she prepares to type*
iC:
The man chuckled, his dark eyes meeting her golden ones when she asked just what he thought he was doing. "Kidnapping a pretty lady, of course!" There seemed to be a tint of amusement in his voice as he said it, as if toying with her, teasing. But yet, there was also a seriousness. He meant business, but he wouldn't be so easily caught off guard either. He was prepared for her resistance, almost as if he had already known it would come.
"Bah, come easily and you'll find out soon enough. Don't make this harder than it has to be," he murmured. It wasn't that he was angry, moreso feeling a bit in a hurry. Still, he knew he had to do this right. Again, he attemted to grab her so as to carry her, seeing as she had no weapons on her currently.
If he were successful, he would then leap off the stage, carrying her, and make way out of town, or at least out of the market and all the commotion. He was heading toward his tent, pitched just outside the valley and a place where he could carry out his plans more easily. If he were not successful, well then he would continue to try... it all depended on her.
Meanwhile, Joseph had indeed stayed while the rest of the crowd had scattered in surprise. He watched with a bit of curiosity, wanting to see just how this would play out. He didn't miss a beat when he reached for her sword... which obviously wasn't there. That indicated she had experience in such things as swordplay. Interesting. Though he supposed not too surprising. Many were. But on the other hand, he made no move to rescue her... not yet. He had a reason and soon enough he would jump into action. It all depended on what happened between the girl and supposed thief.[/color]
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Post by Moon_Song on Aug 1, 2010 18:44:45 GMT -6
((OCC: -pretends to gasp- You fiend, you!  lol Totally kidding, I like where you're going with this, but she will not be taken so easily  ))He remain, but only stood and watched, as though he were waiting for something. Was he involved with this? Great, just what she needed. She would have to keep a tab on him as well as figure out how to deal with this creep.
He wanted to kidnap her? There was a tone of amusement, but it was only a weak cover for something that lay beneath his words. What did he plan do to her? Sell her to slave traders, perhaps? That hardly would be surprising. An oddity such as her would fetch a fine price.
However, another possibility ran through her mind. Was it one of her fathers people? Had he found her? Now her resolve was steeled. She would not let herself be taken by such a person.'come easily and you'll find out soon enough. Don't make this harder than it has to be'Ok, now, she was ready take this guy out. Her expression was fierce now. The gold in her eyes almost the personification of fire. At the right moment, she would make her move.
He moved in an attempt to pick her up. Now! As he adjusted, she slipped through his grasp and moved to thrust her elbow into the back of his neck. It wasn't enough force to knock him out, but she hoped it would do enough to give her the time she needed. She ran to the now fallen tent. She reach into the back flap, her arm searching for the right object.
Got it. With one swift motion, she was on her feet in fighting stance and her sword unsheathed. It caught the light for a brief second. She held the black covering in her right hand, the sharpened blade in the other. However, the man was already too close. She attempted to make a slash at him, hoping to at least graze him.
Her attack wasn't too successful. She would have to move or he would be sure to capture her. She made an attempt to get out of his range. With a powerful jump, she tried to flip backward. Mid-air, she caught another glimpse of the man who was in the audience. ((OCC: I'll let you decide whether she succeeds in her attempt to move away or not. ))
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Post by Relairah on Aug 2, 2010 12:32:24 GMT -6
OoC: Em, actually you powerplayed ^^; firstly, she has to attempt to hit him in the neck, you typed that she actually did. Then, you said she did draw forth blood rather than attempting to. She can still do that stuff but it just has to be an attempt rather than a successful action.. I mean in the previous post there was no powerplay cause you just made it harder for him but didn't actually say he did or did not do something. That's why I didn't mind lol Although, if it's my fault due to misunderstanding or something, my apologies. Is the reason cause you felt this was sorta a side character and therefore not under anyone's control specifically? Like a character that anyone can say what happens? If so, just let me know xD cause unless it's specified that he's such a character, I'm the one who brought him in so he'd be my character. Again, if I mis-lead you, sorry! :/
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Post by Moon_Song on Aug 2, 2010 16:02:06 GMT -6
((OCC: oh jeez sorry, i was so into trying to make it exciting i forgot about that  I did think that perhaps he was a side character, but i shouldn't have done that. I'll fix that right now. Again, sorry about that :sweatdrop: )) |
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Post by Relairah on Aug 4, 2010 13:02:13 GMT -6
OoC: It's all good XD haha I just realized that I totally screwed up what Joseph was supposed to do... silly me... so.. I fixed it in this post sorta v.v;;; em, basically.. he'll have disappeared from view I guess o.0; temporarily...
iC:
The man had been hoping such a brawl would not ensue, but nevetheless, he had prepared for it. He stumbled as her elbow contacted his neck, though he was quick to recover, darting after her as she ran toward the fallen tent. There must be something important she wanted, because any other girl would have used the chance to run. Instead, she went somewhere where he could trap her! He thought. But he didn't get overly arrogant, merely continued with his goal.
He grasped the tent fabric, attempting to throw it over her, or at least distract her. It was then she had attempted to slash at him and her sword ripped through the tent fabric and without hesitation, she jumped. He turned making a dart toward her, also leaping and made an attempt to catch her on her way down from her jump. It was now that he revealed something that must have been tucked away from view. It was a small vile, containing some kind of liquid. He threw it as he leaped, it shattering on the ground and the liquid turning into some kind of vapor in appearance.
If he were successful, she would land right in it and be greatly slowed down by it. At first, she would become dizzy, and then hopefully pass out, at least for a small bit of time. Afterwards, he would also move to take the sword from her hand and toss it aside. If he were not successful, he would prepare to either fight her or chase her. Who knew if this would actually succeed, but he hoped so!
Meanwhile, Joseph had somehow disappeared. The truth was in all the scattering of the people he had been run over and was now tangled in some of the various broken and fallen material all over the ground from the marketplace. He had also been hit in the head by a maniac running by screamig and was coming out of a semi-unconscious state.[/color]
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Post by Moon_Song on Aug 4, 2010 20:50:16 GMT -6
((OCC: lol what a knight in shining armor XD))
Everything seemed to be in slow motion. At the peak of her jump, she saw that the man had jumped after her. Her eyes widened as he threw something toward the ground that, upon impact, exploded into a vapor. Shit! She knew almost instantly what it was. She attempted to hold her breath, but through some subconscious reaction, took a small breath first, causing her to inhale some of the gaseous poison.
As soon as she touch ground, a hand over her mouth and nose, she jumped again away from the vapor, landing and immediately taking a fighting stance. It only took a moment before the strange substance began to have an effect, causing her body to slack slightly. Her sword felt heavier, and her limbs wouldn't move as fast as she wanted them too.
There was no way that she would be able to fight like this. He made a move again, aiming to relieve her of her sword. She only barely dodged him, but it cost her some footing. She stumbled forward, but was just barely able to regain her footing. He was so close now. She couldn't let him get her. She wouldn't let him, damit!
Nikita fled. As fast as her failing limbs would carry her, she stumbled through the labyrinth of the market place. If she was correct, the effect wasn't too long lasting, but there was no way to be sure without knowing what potion it was. She cursed internally once more. It was getting harder to move. If nothing was done soon, he would surely catch her. Whatever it was he planned to do with her, she couldn't allow. She had only been held against her will once long ago, and she refused to be in such a situation ever again!
Oh, but now her vision was starting to waver, and she felt weaker and weaker. God how she hated that feeling. Some unforeseen object in the street caught her foot. She stumbled and fell, putting her hands out in front of her to catch herself. When she hit the ground, her sword slipped from her grip and slid away from her. She looked over her shoulder to see how close the hostile man was. What she saw caused her eyes to widen.
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Post by Relairah on Aug 4, 2010 21:31:42 GMT -6
OoC: Well it sorta played out way differently in my head... Dx; you've had that happen.. right? ^^ lol
iC:
As she twisted and dodged, prepared to fight and stumbled, he was after her, so persistant. By now it would perhaps be evident that he really wasn't a mere thief... otherwise he would've perhaps lost interest. Or perhaps not. Nevertheless, he continued to chase her, seeing that his moment had come when she fell, he didn't waste any time. He moved to kick her sword further from her reach and this time, he attempted to bind her hands. Afterward, he would then once again attempt to pick her into his arms, though this time, he tried to sort of throw her over his shoulder. He needed to make his getaway, and soon. The Arilnor soldiers had already been alerted to the disturbance and were on their way, even rushing toward them now. Time was certainly running thin.
OoC: Sorry it's so short, but I can't really do anything else until I find out if he actually gets her or not Dx
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Post by Moon_Song on Aug 4, 2010 21:59:28 GMT -6
((OCC: lol she is so full of surprises. Anyway, she was referring to how she felt in her childhood home))
He had caught up to her. She could barely see now, her vision was blurring and her sense of balance was shot. Perhaps she had inhaled more than she initially thought. Her movement now sluggish, she tried to reach for her blade in a futile attempt to make a last stand.
She was thwarted, however. He kicked the blade from her reach, and as it went, so did her resolve. She couldn't bare to loose something so precious to her. With what strength and consciousness she had left, she kicked and screamed as he tried to bind her hand together. She lunged her fist forward, hoping to make contact with his face.
In the end, though, he succeeded in tying her hands. She made one last attempt to reach for her sword, if not to fight back, at least to stop it from being stolen or picked up and her never seeing it again. But alas, she wasn't able to reach it. He had picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She made as much noise as she could, but she was beginning to loose consciousness. Why did men have to be such wretched creatures?
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Post by Relairah on Aug 5, 2010 15:44:32 GMT -6
OoC: Haha and good xD Makes things more interesting!
iC:
At last! He had reached success. That was all that mattered to him now. Without hesitation, he leaped into action, springing away and running out of town. He would not be going back. At least not for quite some time.
After a time, he came to his makeshift lodging. It was a tent of sorts, made of animal skin and branches he had put together. He had a reason for using this rather than perhaps more advanced materials, for one it disguised him better in some settings, and for another, he found it more convenient. He lay Nikita down near the back of it, leaving her bound and began making some sort of food preparation. He knew it would not be too long before she would awake. The substance he had used was only supposed to last for about an hour or so, and it had already been at least half that time.
By the time the food he had been putting together was ready, the hour was almost gone and the tent would be full of the smell of tea and fresh bread, though who knew what this man's intentions were.
Meanwhile, Joseph had awoken in Arilnor. He had groaned and rubbed his head, finally managing to untangle himself from a few ropes and random fabrics and push aside some broken crates and fallen fruits. He moved to get up, finding himself somewhat surprised he had even been knocked out. Usually his reflexes were much greater. He rose to his feet, brushing himself off and looked around, taking in the sight. Well, there was certainly some cleaning up to do for the people who lived here. He also saw what was left of the girl's show. The fallen tent and some of the vapors still floating off into the air. The stage was a bit of a mess also. He contined looking around, seeing no sign of the girl or the man who had attacked her... at first.
Just as he turned again, he caught the glimpse of movement, a flash of white and color and then it was gone. He frowned, rubbing his head once more. Well, perhaps it might be good not to waste any more time. He leaped into action, darting in the direction which he had seen the movement and colors, not just because of a gut feeling it was the right way to go.
He didn't have much trouble finding the tent once he got out of town and was able to see more clearly. The man had disappeared through a tree line in the distance, using it for cover, but Joseph followed nevertheless. He now stood, waiting. He had come to the conclusion that this guy knew what he was doing, and wouldn't easily be dealt away with by anyone. At least, he felt it was better to over estimate than to under estimate in this case. He was in the shadow of a nearby tree, watching with glowing eyes. In truth, he already knew what he was going to do. He just had to wait for the right timing.
Hopefully, he wouldn't have to wait much longer, he thought as the scents of tea and others reached him.
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Post by Moon_Song on Aug 5, 2010 16:19:50 GMT -6
Nikita remained in a haze for a long time. She neither slept nor regained full consciousness. All she knew was that she was moving. She couldn't even form a coherent thought, let alone call out. Visions of her sword flashed through her jumbled mind.
Soon, she stopped moving, and it felt like she was laying down. The atmosphere was different here, not the hectic-ness of the market place. It was almost...natural.
Was she dead? Oh, wouldn't that be too sweet a release. If this was death, where was the light that was supposed to greet you? And the images of loved ones? In her mind, she called out to her sister. "Accalia.." She thought she felt her lips move, but she couldn't be sure. Perhaps she was in hell? How fitting would that be.
After a while, though, she began to regain some awareness. The first thing she noticed was the smell. The scent of warm tea and fresh bread filled her nostrils. The familiar smell grounded her, and with a sharp intake of breath, she sat up.
She was still a tad dazed, and it took a moment for her to get her bearings. She was in an animal skin tent. From the smell of it, the woods lay just beyond the hides. The next thing she saw was the man who had kidnapped her.
She narrowed her eyes as she glared silently at him. The fire in her eyes was scorching. She could almost feel it herself. She knew there was nothing she would be able to fight too well now. Her limbs were stiff and her hands were still uncomfortably bound.
For a long time, she didn't say a word to the man. Although, she did ask one thing. "What do you plan to do to me?" The hate and anger were thick in her words, as though she hoped they would burn away his flesh.
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lol Totally kidding, I like where you're going with this, but she will not be taken so easily 
))