6 Three Days Left

Several hours later the camp begins stirring in the same familiar manner that Jayson has grown accustomed to. Wake up. Get their food. Begin work duties.

Ignoring the humdrum of monotony that is his daily life, Jayson seeks out Misrurri, finding her in the stables. He rushes over to her and pulls her into a stall in an abandoned corner of the stable making sure that no one sees either of them.

"J-Jayson, what are you doing?"

"I said I wanted to discuss with you privately this morning didn't I?"

"You can't answer my question with a question, but yes you did.. So what do you want to talk about?"

Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he begins speaking slowly.

"So what I wanted to talk about was our plan of escape from this place."

"No you mean, your plan of escape. I can be an accomplice, but I cannot go with you, you know this Jayson."

"I-I know that, but as an accomplice with ample knowledge of the workings of this place, your ideas would help solidify my plans. So anyway, going by what I've noticed this past month. I'm relatively familiar with some of the guard rotations, and I was thinking that since there's 4 days until the Kathro comes; on that day the lazy guards, Molgrur always sneaks away and sleep here in the stables, while Greyeye lamely walks around gorging himself on meat being negligent of monitoring us. If I can successfully steal the daggers Molgrur keeps on him in addition to a horse here in the stables. Is there anything we can do to poison but not kill the other horses so they can't give chase so easily?"

Taking some time to digest everything Jayson told her, she closes her eyes and recalls the last time the Kathro came to the camp.

"It's doable, but anything like poison is a no go, they don't keep anything like that around here. And if you were found with poison on you, they would kill you instantly. Unfortunately the only thing I can think of without killing the horses would be to set fire to the stables and scatter the horses in a panic. I can do that once you leave."

Jayson grins broadly barely containing his excitement over Misrurri's idea.

"However"

That one word brought Jayson back down to earth.

"Y-yes?"

He stammers fearful of what comes next.

"The Kathro has a special magic. One which requires all new prisoners and slaves to be brought together so she can gauge everyone's abilities all at once. Once that is over they will begin branding everyone one by one. You won't have much time before that to slip away. So you should try to not be in the front or in the middle of the group. There's several dozen new people not counting you, so you could have lucked out with that, so while it's difficult, you can do this."

This woman knows her stuff, well she's been here her whole life. Regardless, I'm glad we've crossed paths.

Before I knew it I pulled her into my arms.

"Thanks for everything, teaching me things about this world, looking after me in this place, and helping with my escape."

Bewildered, she hesitates at first but gives in and returns my embrace, but only for a moment realizing what's happening after the fact.

"Ahem, w-we should probably get back to work if we take too long we'll get beaten or starve tonight."

Nodding to her words we separate and resume our tasks.

****************

As misrurri attends to the horses she's tended to for years she's called out to by one of the guards.

"So you and that stupid human are a thing now huh? You really do give yourself to anyone as long as they have a dick huh?"

He grins ear to ear as he grabs her by shoulder turning her around.

Anger quickly comes over Misrurri as she slaps him reflexively.

"Who do you think you are talking to you worthless shell of a dog? What do you want, Krudge?"

"Well I saw you embracing that filthy human, so I figured I'd shoot my shot at ya, ya know?"

Krudge says as he looks down at her towering over her before licking her cheek.

Misrurri looks at this ugly dog with disgust as she slaps him again.

"Two things you mutt; first, I'm not involved with him in any sort of way he was thanking me for helping him since he got here. Second, I'm not involved with anyone, and I refuse to be involved with someone like you. You're one of the worst types of beastmen, you try to force yourself on any person if they pique your interest. Even if you looked more like a man instead of a dog, I wouldn't offer myself up to you or let you take me. So back the hell off or else I'll get Zenith to deal with you."

Krudge clicks his tongue in rage knowing he can't do more than this.

"Tch. You're lucky you're one of his favorites. If ya weren't I'd have done you already years ago."

He begrudgingly walks off after slamming his fist into a wall where they were standing.

Why the hell is that man still here even, I would have assumed for his constant crimes he'd be killed, or banished at the least..

Sighing to herself she meagerly finishes her tasks.

"I know the things I've done paint me in a bad light, but honestly I'm not a cheap whore who'll spread her legs for anyone. If it wasn't out of pity for him, I wouldn't have slept with that guard for a potion to heal his wounds… Why the hell did I do that for him anyway…?"

She asks no one in particular as her words get smaller and smaller to a whisper.

After finishing her tasks, their so-called meal and everything else Misrurri is back in the cell with other prisoners and slaves. Having her arms folded around her knees she thinks about what's to come.

I wish I could join Jayson and leave this place, not because of any motive or anything.. I just want to be free of this place. While I know more than him about the world, all my knowledge is superficial. I'm almost as ignorant as him… Maybe one day I'll get out of here, I don't want this life..

Closing her eyes as she buries her head into her chest, she drifts off clinging to a future that isn't possible for her. One where she's free from this place and free to discover who she really is and what life can hold for someone like her.