The Crow's Witch

Four Months Earlier

"Five in a row!" The big man exclaimed. He had to bend slightly in order to walk through the doorway. Five other males inside were waiting on him and they all jumped up from their seats, cheering at the news as they each patted the man on his back. The big man, Brawler, had luck on his side. Night after night he'd emerge as a victor in the underground fighting den. He bore a tattoo of a hand with two of its fingers chopped off, a member of the Black Tips.

Brawler laughed. A large, bear like sound as he relished in the praise, eagerly bragging about his winnings to his other crew members.

"Rounds on me tonight!" Brawler yelled and the crew bursted into cheers as he opened the dark red door at the end of the hallway. The room inside was dark, lit by a single headlight in its centre. It was basic, filled with a big dark table, an arm chair and multiple shelves.

Brawler closed the door, shutting the muffled sounds of yells and victory songs outside as he faced the leader of the Black Tips.

"Elliot." Brawler smiled, showing chipped white teeth as he spread his arms. "Another win for me tonight."

Elliot, a middle aged man scrubbed at the beard of his chin. There was a crooked smile on his face. "Good, good. Means the bitch's working well. Send Max down tomorrow, he'll take your place."

"My place?" Brawler repeated, arms lowering slightly but his leader merely waved a dismissive hand.

"You've been fighting for too long, winning too much. Anymore than this and Brekker would come sniffing. Take a break and we'll do a rotation, bring in a few more boys who are looking for jobs. New faces, average features, no one worth remembering." Elliot spoke, tapping his chin. "We'll have em fight instead."

"Cover up our trails." Brawler hummed. He'd picked up a small book from a counter near the door, flipping it in his big hands. The book unfolded into the map of Kerch. "Can I take this?"

Elliot looked up, he huffed out a laugh. "For the girl? She can't read."

"But she's smart." Brawler replied. He'd seen in the way she watched others interact, the way she'd pick up on some Kerch words in only a few weeks.

Elliot waved a hand. "Feed her while you're at it."

Bowing before leaving the room bouncing on his toes Brawler tucked the folded map under his arm and with his free hands he scooped a few plates of food off of the kitchen counter. He waved past the crowd of people already getting drunk and rowdy, dodged a few who'd trip over themselves and made his way towards the back door.

Brawler kicked it opened with his foot and hummed as he walked down the hallway. There were three plates balancing on his arms, more food than he'd ever remember giving his little prisoner but tonight she deserved it. Luck has never smiled upon him so kindly.

Finally reaching the end of the hallway where a singular old door stayed locked with chains Brawler placed the food onto the floor, unlocking the multiple locks clicked in place. The steel chains dropped onto the floor with a heavy thud and he picked the plates back up, shouldering himself inside.

The room was small with only a single bed, two buckets for filth and a small slit of a window near the top, too high for even him to reach.

"There you are, girl." He grinned.

There was a woman seated on the floor with her wrists and ankles chained to a corner. An overkill, Brawler thought. The woman was too weak to be of any threat. She was on the brink of death when he and a few of the slavers he hired found her on Shu shore. Now they just kept her skinny, only strong enough so she wouldn't die from the cold.