Siren Call

Negotiations

Framcil would occasionally mutter below his breath but other than that, nothing broke the silence between them as she watched the sun begin to sink lower and lower into the far horizon.

Finally, after what seemed to be like hours, Framcil rose from his plush chair.

"Time to go, girl. I cannot keep my customer waiting any longer," he declared with a sickening glee that brought on a cold and a fearful twist in her stomach.

This time, Framcil did not need to drag her after him but he did not relinquish his heavy grip on her shoulder as he guided her off his ship.

The crewmen stared after her with dubious glances, as if barely remembering that they had picked up a new soul on board all that time ago.

The captain paid them no mind as he shoved her ahead of him down the ship and onto the first bit of solid ground she had stepped on in days.

 "Welcome to the heartland, little girl. You might as well become familiar with it as it shall be your home for the rest of your life."

She did not speak.

Her words were locked away where no one shall ever find them again.

He kept a tight grip on her scrawny shoulder as he steered her through the congested cobblestone streets. Her eyes brushed over the town, astonished by the immaculate buildings and well groomed citizens. As the sun had kissed the horizon, torches flared to life throughout the town, keeping the streets well lit.

Everything here was bright, much brighter than she had ever encountered before. So many colors that she had never seen before were sprinkled throughout the town. Dark, deep colors as well as light, creamy tones were painted before her eyes in a spectacular stroke and though she knew that though this town was merely a little town, she was dazzled all the same.

Framcil pushed her ahead of him through the twists and turns of the dark town until she was finally shoved against an unimposing wooden door, tucked away from the bright lights of the port village.

Framcil knocked steadily against the door until a series of profane grumbling cut through the door. Adalynn stepped back as it was yanked backwards and a large black bearded man towered over her.

"Framcil, you better have a good reason as to why you're knocking on my door so late," he grumbled in a low voice but bade them enter nonetheless.

Framcil did not speak until the front door was safely closed behind them and assured of privacy.

"This is rather good reason," he drawled and whirled Adalynn roughly around and tugged the back of her cloak upwards. She clung tightly onto her broken gown, embarrassed that she was still so indecently clad.

The large bellied man cursed low and tears prickled at her eyes, the humiliation of being so exposed yet again was almost too much to bear.

"They're supposed to be wiped out," he murmured in awe and Framcil dropped her shirt. Adalynn clutched at her shoulder and huddled behind Framcil, despite the danger that he had been to her.

"Yes well, obviously, Tal, they are not."

Tal peered at her, as if studying a new breed of animal yet undiscovered to the world.

"Wait, lift it one more time," Tal commanded and Framcil obliged.

Adalynn shivered as the two scrutinized her warrior's markings.

"Do you see that there?" Tal traced a particular design on her lower back and Adalynn froze at his touch. Her heart thudded madly in her chest, frantically desperate for a way to escape this man's pudgy finger caressing her backside.