Be quick or be dead (open, but please read rules)

Suddenly a loud metallic CLANG! rang out over the group. Eyes would search for the source of the noise, and eventually come to rest on Nyaha, who was sitting on the ground, legs stretched out, with a sledgehammer resting on the chains connecting the shackles on his legs. He looked up to all the eyes on him and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt anything," he said with a hand behind his head. He then dragged the heavy sledghammer, which he did not have the strength to wield effectively, into he left-hand sleeve, where it seemed to disappear. He then removed a blowtorch from the opposite sleeve and went to work on the chains once again, making more distracting noises. Meanwhile, he thought to himself, If I were in that guy's position, I'd totally trust her! Then again, I'd also have a whole mess of escape plans ready just in case.

That guy has a chance to get away with his life! thought Damon, thats better than most of us get. perhaps if he released the remainder of the slaves, no that was too obviously an escape ploy. She had before mentioned that slavers and nagas weren't all that different, maybe he could play on that...yes that could work. If he failed that was it, he was done, but if he succeeded perhaps he could save the rest of his group as well, seeing as the slaves basically had it easy from here on out as long as they weren't disrespectful.
"Naga, I wish to argue a point, earlier on you mentioned that slavers, and predators were very much alike, then you claimed you take lives because you must, while slavers take lives to extend their wealth. Being a thief by trade, I cannot claim to know all of the secrets, but in a world such as this, with out wealth your life would quickly spiral downward, sometimes to the point where it is no longer worth living. Sometime we slave, because we must, as it is the only trade we know or are able to acquire. also you claimed to kill because you had to, and please don't react harshly, but i think that is a lie. You need not eat sentient creatures, you could subsist on large herbivores, and the like. You need not eat humans and nekos. You are also being rather cruel at the moment, almost more so than us, for if the jumpy lad is too afraid to get the keys from you, then it is you who is holding him from his freedom, not us."

With his mind still screaming in barely supressed fear, Jason gawped at the two people who had made themselves known to the predator. He had tried everything he could to stay inconspicuous and unnoticed, yet he still got picked out of the throng - and yet here these two were intentionally making a name for themselves! What kind of men were these? What powers could they have that relieved them from the same fear that had so effectively dried his mouth?

Gulping, Jason weighed his options. He thought it best to hold his tongue until the predator had responded to the human - only then would he reply. Hopefully, that exchange would make the 'naga' forget about the choice she had just offered to him, or maybe change the deal for the better. Even if she did remember, it could give him more time to come up with a suitable response. Jason was playing for time, and he felt it was fast running out.

The Naga was stunned. No one had ever challenged her this way. Or that way.

On one hand, the Neko showed absolutely no care. He didn't even flinch when his life was threatened, and now this. She liked that. It meant that she may have found something better than a meal, a friend. Someone to replace...

No, the thought was too painful. She pushed it from her mind.

The other "little man" was going o be fun to play with. She quickly responded, "While your first claim may be true, your second claim is unfounded." she replied to him. "Even us "horrible" predators have respect for others of our race. we see each others as equals, no matter the size or power. We do not prey upon each other, and those who do are scorned. YOU, on the other hand, treat your fellow man like dirt, property or animals to buy or sell. So, under that logic, I am living off of "large herbivores" as you put it."

She looked down at the little man standing directly before her. "You have my word as a naga that you will not be harmed if you step into my hand."

Let him choose...

are we waiting on something, or someone to continue?

EvilGenius wrote:

are we waiting on something, or someone to continue?

(Yes. McKindle, you have the floor.)

(While we wait, something else is happening...)

From inside the caravan, pounding was heard. Small enough to be missed by human ears, but Roxanne heard it. (So did Nyaha)

Tinies. Being taken to be sold as pets.

"Release them." Roxanne said, pointing to Nyaha. This would be a great time to test Nyaha's character. Everyone knew that Nekos were the main predators of Tomthumbs, so it would be dramatically ironic and totally entertaining to watch a Neko release them. Nature is cruel, she laughed to herself.

Sorry for the delay, blame the karaoke at our local pub!


Despite the searing panic still resounding in his head, the seed of an idea had been planted in Jason's mind. This naga seemed to appreciate people of character, who stood out and could come closer to being treated as equals. So far everything he had done had been involuntary, and her principle interaction with him seemed to have been based on feelings of pity. Although he knew he didn't have the guts to challenge her in the same way the neko or the other man had done if he could offer something to placate her, something to bring him to her level, it could delay his being viewed as the next snack.

A thought struck him suddenly. With his eye twitching, Jason stumblingly offered the first words he had said since being captured.

"On my home planet, one does not accept acts of kindness without rewarding them. You have already been outstandingly kind, first in freeing me from that slaver and now with this guarantee of freedom from my shackles. Please, let me know that you will in turn let me repay your generosity by offering you something: a story. I am a chronologist, well versed in stories of ancient lore and wonder. If you promise to let me fulfill my duty and repay you by telling you a story, wild stallions couldn't stop me from stepping into your hand."

She smiled at Jason. "You have my word. But before you do that I have a request for you." she said, looking at him with an amused smile.

Jason's head involuntarily twitched to the right as the unexpected response caught him off guard. Inhaling deeply in a feeble attempt to quell his feverishly beating heart, Jason spoke stutteringly again.

"W-What ever may that be?" he croaked.

"Why, to release the others, of course" she smiled at him. "They don't deserve those shackles any more than you do." she handed him the keys.

"In the meantime, I want all the slavers up here NOW." (you have three posts of silence while she devours the slavers. Use them wisely,)

Damon slowly walks forward keeping his hand on his dagger, not that it would do any good.

"Naga before you devour me and the remainder of my troop, I wish to finish our earlier conversation. I have proven that I can bring up good points in the fact that you changed the deal with the twitching person; I was also wondering your name, mine is Damon. Now, as for your comment, we are scorned by most, and in that respect, pay dearly for the work we do. Where ever a slaver goes he is met with dirty looks, and jeers, yet they still purchase his “animals”. Also you are not eating large herbivores, you are passing judgment, based on who you believe is fit to live. Not every one does what they do by choice. Yet judgment is still passed as though he were. A soldier may not want to kill, but he is under orders, and must fight for his country. An assassin may not want to shoot, but has a family of five that need feeding. A slaver may not wish to enslave, but must get medical help for his son, who is dying. Life thrusts situations upon us that we react to as best as we can, but the cold fact is when the number one priority is to survive ourselves come first, then our family. Friends might be next, but other members of our species are generally just fodder, that happens to get in the way. What forces the feeling of, for lack of a better word, compassion between two beings of the same species? True those of the same species seem to initially get along better, but most don’t in fact there are some of our own species, entire nations, that we loathe. Being of the same species, though it is thought to be special, truly means little to nothing."

He waits for a response eyes narrowed.

Roxanne looked at him carefully.

"Listen to me and listen to me well. I am extending you and your team a deal.

If you convince me that you are going to change, treat the others of your species as equals, and work for the betterment of Humanity instead of the regression, then you can go. If you can't, or I have reason to doubt you, then you die.

And yes, Damon, I am extending judgement. Slavers have caused me too many problems to name. They are a bane to the world and must be ELIMINATED!!!"

Roxanne tried to calm herself down. These men had done nothing wrong. But they were slavers, and just that is wrong. They killed Kitcha...

No, that's a lie. Other slavers killed Kitcha.

These are just as bad, and would do the same.

Unless they can change.

Which is precisely why I am offering them this deal.

She brought her gaze down to the one called Damon.

"Oh, and my name is Roxanne."

That it? Damon thinks, unable to keep the surprise off of his face.
"well, Roxanne...It's been fun...If you don't mind i would like to continue our discussion, perhaps at a later date. It was just starting to get interesting, and I still have a few question to ask, for example why did you speak so harshly when talking of slavers? why could you not keep the tongue of civil conversation?"
That can't be the end he thought nagas always seem to have a trick or two, besides, if I can win a conversation against her, what makes her think I'm not lying to her if I tell her I'll reform.

Nyaha had just cut through the chains binding his legs when the naga spoke to him again. His reaction was a giddy hop to his feet and applause, as well as a large grind and the words, "Aye-aye, captain!" He then stepped cheerfully over to the caravan and opened the door. As the tinies saw him, they began to panic more, though they reassured themselves when they remembered that Roxanne had ordered someone to release them. Nyaha did as he was told, though he seemed rather joyful about it. He soon had all the tinies inside the vehicle (? I think that's what a caravan is) out of their shackles. He then turned his attention back to Roxanne. "So now what, do you want me to just let them run around?" His face then took on a much more serious expression than it had thus far. "I personally don't think that'd be a good idea. They'd just get eaten, or captured all over again." His face then brightened up again. "I think taking them to the city, a place called Negav you probably know, would be a much better idea!"

(Nyaha, I'm guessing she was using the definition of caravan that just means a group of people travelling together. No reason they can't have a vehicle with them though!)


Breathing a heavy, shuddering sigh of relief and surprise at his own continued well-being, Jason shakingly went round to the other slaves in turn freeing them from their shackles. His breathing became less and less laboured with each chain that thudded dully to the ground; if this naga - "Roxanne" if the discussion with the other man was correct - was able to empathise with the plight of the slaves maybe she might not be totally morally bankrupt. She had, after all, kept her oath and had not harmed him even when fetching the keys.

After the last slave was freed, Jason finally unlocked his own shackles. As he rubbed his wrists, soothing the tortured skin, he thought over his situation: could he really rely on his story deal to delay his potential demise for the immediate future? So far this Roxanne had been nothing less than a creature of unyielding principle and honour, so maybe he could trust her for now. Given his only other option was to make a break for it into the wild and perilous jungle he kind of had to.

That said... The image of the screaming, wriggling slaver being dropped alive into her gaping maw still clung to his mind's eye like a gripper vine. As he nervously awaited further instruction from Roxanne, who was still deep in conversation with the audacious man, Jason's mind slowly turned to contingency plans for when his story was finished.

(What i meant by caravan was a handcart.)

Roxanne smiled up at the neko. "I am aware of the predicament, and will see to it that the tinies are not harmed." She looked down at the slavers. "I speak so villely of slavers because..." her voice broke off. She cleared her throat. "You, Damon, may join the others. For now." she said to him, through clenched teeth.

"Anyone else?" (excluding Damon, all of the slavers are being devoured in the background. I will give you a two-post warning when her attention is turning back to the group.)

(It looks like a lot of fun!)

Curse you curiosity, it appears as though I'm not off the menu after all. Damon slowly walked over toward the neko. It appears as though my words were in vain, as she is just eating the others any way, no regard for any of the points I mentioned...she is just saving me for later! The thought flashed through his mind like a lightning strike, and he chuckled and called out to Jason
"Hey twitch, Do you think its worse to end up with a sgian dubh in your neck, or burning alive in a naga's gut?" he continued walking until he reached the neko, and regarded him with curiosity.
"You clearly have quite a powerful magic there, be it the shirt, or yourself, my question is why you didn't use it for escape sooner? Also how do you manage to keep up such a cheerful demeanor in such a strained environment? The naga seems to have taken quite a liking to you, and you don't appear to have met before, last but not least cutting chains frees your feet, but does nothing for chaffing on your ankles, do you know how to pick a lock?." Damon emphasizes the last sentence with a twirl of his Dirk.

Slick46 wrote:

(It looks like a lot of fun!)

(Well, it's not ideal, but feel free to jump in. A slave no one noticed earlier)

Doing his best to ignore the carnage being inflicted upon the other slavers in the party, Jason shifted his weight uneasily between each foot as he meditated upon his predicament. He jumped as the man with the dagger - "Damon" apparently - addressed him as he strode towards the bemused-looking neko. "Twitch". He supposed he'd earned that nickname. It was better than what he used to get called as a kid.

Examining the man now talking to the neko, Jason felt a plan evolving in his mind. Such bold men were bound to have schemes of their own, and their confidence suggested a skill that could see such plans to success. For now he would wait for Roxanne to finish her... 'meal', relying on the protection of her word for his own safety. However, if the other two looked like they were going to make good their escape he may well just roll with the punches and join them. Improvisation wasn't something he liked to do, but it looked like the situation may very well call for it.

"It's not power, it's intelligence," Nyaha said to the man with the dagger, who's name he had missed along with pretty much that of everyone else in the group, save for Roxanne. He set the tinies down on the ground where he supposed Roxanne was planning to take care of them somehow. He then turned his attention to dagger-man. "And I didn't escape because that would have been boring, and I really had nothing better to do today." Actually, that wasn't true. He was supposed to be looking for some alchemy ingredients for his friend. Oh well, she'd have to wait. "And I'm cheerful because I don't like being sad. I've had enough of being sad." He lost his smile for a moment as he recalled times in his life that weren't the best, but it quickly returned as those dark memories gave way better ones. "And a lot of people seem to like me when they meet me." Which was true. He was always sort of a people person, and those around him always seemed quite drawn to him. "And last but not least, I know a really neat kind of herb that makes a great moisturizer," the neko said with a grin. "But I don't know how to pick a lock. Do you? Will you teach me?" Nyaha became excited at the idea of learning another new skill. His big green eyes sparkled as he leaned forward to the man with the dagger. What was his name again?

Damon chuckled
"yes you are a very likable person, and you attitude is infectious. I can see why she didn't eat you. Anyway as for the shackles, is a simple lock that any human could open with a fingernail, but most just don't know, and slavers aren't likely to tell them. If you use a blade simply slip it in the opening and twist."
Damon deftly opened one shackle then offered his dirk to Nyaha
"Here, they say the best teacher is experience, though pressure helps too. The slimmer the blade the more versatile its picking skills, but the weaker it seems to get. Narrow blades fit into smaller locks and give you a better feel of the inside, but also can snap off leaving you trapped. I haven't asked your name have I?"

"No, you haven't," Nyaha replied, taking the knife in one of his sleeve-covered hands. "And I haven't asked your's. On three. One, two, three..." He then proceeded to ask the knife man his name, hoping he'd do the same in unison. He then proceeded to copy the man's lockpicking trick, and got the opposite leg's shackle off quite easily. He smiled at his accomplishment.

(four post warning)

Roxanne deftly devoured the group. It was invigorationg. None of them even tried to defend themselves, most just blubbered or pleaded. Unfortunetly for them, their pleas fell on deaf ears.