“It’s a deal," Purred a feminine voice. Delicate and well-manicured fingers kneaded his chest before they pushed him away. Next thing Noah knew, he fell into the portal. Rapidly darkness swallowed him up and any sense of his surroundings become lost.

Laying flat and eagle spread, his mind was the first to breach past his unconsciousness. His skin tingled and created a demand to move or suffer the needling longer. Unable to stand it any longer, Noah’s eyelids opened gradually. The blurriness began to clear and his surroundings sharpened into his awareness. It took a moment for his mind to collect itself.

He could only describe where he currently laid as a deteriorating state house. Musty decay reached his nostrils causing him to crinkle it into distaste. He propped into an upright sitting position. Upon moving, pain exploded across his spine and ass. He should've expected it because he had landed on his back during his fall. Now he was paying for it. Noah cringed with each movement as he then pushed himself onto his feet. His tailbone hurt the most due to how he landed, his wallet slid up and dug into his rump to further irritate it. His hand lowered to rub the tenderness away. It didn't help the tingling didn't cease and demanded relief. He stretched, rotated and checked over for any lacerations upon his person.

Nothing seemed broken.

Relieved by this, his ears caught the moans from others stirring nearby. Shifting his wallet from his back to his side pocket, he began to step to help the nearest individual. There were many people, each from the different walks of life, collected here. Noah began to wonder. How did they get here and why?

There were too many questions, but there were no answers here. At least not yet.

Contemplating his fate, Noah noted the various reactions in each expression. Some relinquished themselves to their uncertain future, but others were ready to bolt. In fact, several did. All hauled back, kicking and screaming, then shackled to the supporting posts. Very few could recall their last moments, let alone how they got here or why.

Several looked terrified and ready to bolt while they tried to figure out what happened. Very few could remember their last moments, let alone what brought them here or why. He wasn’t like them. Every detail seared in his memory and unable to erase, a brand on his otherwise normal life. Still assisting others, a voice broke the confused chatter among them.

A man in a patchwork robe mockery bow before them, his facial features hidden by shadows within the hood.

“Welcome to my collection, mortals.”

An invisible fist plowed into Noah’s gut at the words spoken. All his breath escaped him as the man fought not to crumble to his knees, his mind trying to make sense of his situation. Was this Ethan’s would be fate? The question burrowed into his thoughts, causing his breath to release and draw in. As the shock passed, his skin crawled at the sensation of eyes passing over him. He looked upward to see the audience now collected about the balcony. Each face, a mix of feral and beauty, glimpsed down at the prizes below.

Watching the exchange, Noah narrowed his eyes in confusion at the words. ‘You may decide, or we will force you'. A choice of ownership, even if they resisted. The irony washed over the man, his skin a deep chocolate brown, at his situation. There was a time his whole race fought for equal rights and freedom, now he faced the very same situation.

What the fuck have I got myself into... he bitterly thought.



Being at a forced march for nearly a month, Noah learned a few things. The most painful lesson was steel toe work boots weren't designed for this. During the first few days, his feet leaked and peeled thanks to oozing blisters. They were most tender where the shoes rubbed against his flesh peeking past worn down socks. To allow his soles to heal, he started to carry them on his belt. His toes curled into the beaten down and well-traveled soil, easily pushing him onward.

During their trek over difficult country, Noah picked out the most notable characters. Mainly those who distinguished themselves during the exchange within the Fae court.

His dark eyes fell to Yusuke. He nicknamed the man the ‘Artist’ because the man rarely ceased sketching. Each time he spotted the man, his one hand supported his book and the other scribbled pictures into the page. Noah wondered how long it took before the ‘Artist’ ran dry of paper or pencil. And what would happen?

Shrugging the thought off, his attention turned to the young woman walking nearby. Her head tilted and began to stare into the man’s face. She was acting like a young child whose curiosity got the better of her. Did she have any sort of mental disorder that stunted her mental growth? Noah questioned, but remained silent.

Again his eyes shifted, this time to the Elsa. She was a young adult and while she didn’t appear to be much on appearance, he had a feeling she was clever. What he hadn't decided on was if she was a survivor or too passive to think for herself. Only time would tell. He continued to watch her fingers jerked and twitch in front while she stared into space.

The mocha skinned teenager, the one the fox-like individual took interest in, strolled next to her. Her words mixed what Noah guessed to be her native and English languages as she chattered away. Both introducing herself and attempting to examine Elsa’s ticks. So she was conducting an orchestra and on a piano, interesting thought Noah.

Storing the information away, he became distracted when an elderly man stumbled beside him. In that moment, impulse overrode caution as Noah twisted, jerked his arm out and stopped his march. It created a bar across the man’s chest causing him to catch himself. The old man’s eyes blinked then turned to Noah. Softness etched into his features when the older man nodded in respect.

“Thank you, young man. Quite some reflexes you got there.” He praised Noah.

Again, Noah shrugged, “You get really good with hand and eye coordination when you play sports. Even faster when you need to protect a basketball from being stolen.”

“At least you’re not like my grandson."

The man’s eyes dropped a bit at the mention of what he lost and continued on, “and on his phone, playing games all day. How did a young man like yourself get caught up in this?”

“That’s… complicated.” Noah admitted, his tone quieted.

Noah watched the old man run his fingers through his disheveled and frizzled curls. His green eyes studied Noah hard enough that discomfort set in. A decision was finally reached as he turned away to catch up to the group.

His words cut behind back at Noah, “I understand, I won’t pry. I’m not the nosy sort. Again thank you.”

The younger man shook his head then began to catch up to the group. Deep down, he hoped none of the Fae had noticed or would do anything about it.

---

---

Curse her and her inability to pay attention in English class… Of course, how was Erin to know that she would actually need it one day? English had always just been a thing to her- a language spoken by people she’d thought she’d never meet. She understood a few of the words the wolf-man spoke, but without any understanding of her situation or the ability to string those words together into anything with meaning, Erin simply stared after him in confusion as the creature turned away. Hijo de puta...

The rest of the humans started to move. One half of the room being lead by an unpleasant-seeming man who pushed the people around like sheep, while the other half was surrounded by more creatures which herded them all towards another exit, led by the wolf-man she’d tried to speak to. Erin stood still a moment, wondering which group she was meant to be in until one woman who passed her grabbed her hand and began to drag her along.

“Lo siento.” The woman spoke, and then paused for a moment before speaking again. “Ayúdeme.”

"¿Con qué?"

“Uhhh…” The woman glanced at her and repeated herself before- “I no Hablo Espanol bien.” Ah, English. At least this woman had tried. Erin smiled softly at her before replying in basically the easiest English words to use.

"Ah, okay."

“I’m helping you. Or trying to anyway.”

"En inglés, ¿"help" es ayuda?" Erin hated herself for not remembering this.

“Uh, sí... I think.”

The woman didn’t let go of her hand until the group had been walking for awhile, the place they had started from fading from sight as the group moved. As they walked, Erin and this woman- Carrie, she would learn her name was- bantered back and forth in simple conversation. Carrie was a teacher of young children, usually those who were just below primary school level. She spoke in broken Spanish, but considering that she told Erin it had been at least a decade since she last used the language in her own school years, it was quite surprising that she remembered as much as she did. As they spoke, Erin began to remember some things too, and managed to properly introduce herself and kind-of get an explanation of what was going on from Carrie.

These creatures, the wolf-man and the rest, were all their new ‘masters’ from the sound of it. Some words were just too specific to the situation for them to be able to translate to each other, but from what Erin could see and the body language of all the others around them, she could guess at what she wasn’t being told. This was not a good situation, by any standard, though as the minutes turned to hours and then days, Erin realized one thing. They were being taken care of.

The creatures never acted harshly to anyone that she could tell, and the group was allowed to rest for a fair amount of time each night before moving on the next morning. Whatever these creatures had planned for them all, it was obvious that they didn’t want the humans dead just yet. That was good, Erin supposed.

Over the month that it would take to get to their destination, Erin would chat with Carrie and anyone else who approached her. The woman helped her brush up on her English to the point where Erin felt confident in her ability to hold a conversation with anyone who didn’t know any Spanish at all, but the teen still wanted to have a fallback in case she wasn’t as okay as she thought she was. Luckily, she had a Spanish-English translation app on her phone that she had downloaded to ‘help’ her with her English homeworks at school. She had turned her phone off in the first few hours of their travels in order to conserve the battery, after she and everyone else realized that there was no signal in this strange place. Hopefully it would hold out for a while until she could truly communicate with these people.

---

Melinda was cold from it getting colder and her feet was hurting a bit much. She held her fox plushie tighter than normal because she had a small ounce of knowledge where she was going. She was going to the Unseelie court in the fall lands. She didn’t really notice anything different this trek was long and hard on her. ”This place is strange, isn’t it foxy?” Melinda thought to herself, while looking at her fox plushie.

Melinda looked around and noticed the landscape changed. She awed at the landscape, it was beautiful in its own way. She heard a song in the distance and felt weirdly odd about the song, and couldn’t really tell what it was about. She opened her eyes very big and couldn’t really tell what she was looking at. Her entire body shivered in fear when she saw the image in front of her about the corpses of multiple humans and others hanging from the stalagmites. ”Huuuh… that’s a sight I never see in my anime, it’s not that graphic,” Melinda thought to herself with a slight shiver in her entire body.

Melinda saw the woman, who did use a harp and she couldn’t believe her eyes at all. She was shaken to her core because she realizes this is definitely not an anime. ”I feel slightly sick to my stomach because of this,” Melinda thought to herself. She couldn’t go back to the mortal world because of that one woman, who wanted full control of her family’s company. Her eyes sadly looked at her Fox Plushie, while she was holding it. She did hear the voice and it was Spanish but couldn’t really glean anything from what the lady on the gate said. She looked up and noticed she was a naga, and definitely remembered seeing anime with that kind of entity in it.

@Demonic Angel
Elsa stared at the Native American who approached her and began talking. Why was she talking? Had Elsa given any indication to any of them that she would welcome conversation? She stared with no expression as the woman introduced herself. Her words and sentence structure told different stories. On the one side the way she strung words together sounded like English was not her first or second language and used some words wrong entirely, but she used large words and at times a structure that showed high education. So which was it?

Amazingly she continued to speak after Elsa offered no encouragement for her to continue, even trying to flatter her it seemed. Elsa wanted to snort and look away, but the woman did seem sincere.
"It is pointless to praise my skills if you have never heard them," Elsa finally said, probably sounding rude but she was speaking truth just as the woman claimed to be. She was silent for a few moments, then gave in to the strange impulse to give her name.
"My name is Elsa. I do play the piano. Not that I am likely to find one in a place like this."

She stumbled a bit and bit her lip to keep from crying out. The wounds on her feet were inflamed. It was getting harder to ignore them.

---
Once they reached the mountain Elsa was barely still walking. Her feet had long since gone numb, her shoes stained with blood. Vae had continued talking to her until she had worn Elsa down enough to talk back with more than a few words. Vae was the only one Elsa had confided in about her injured feet and had helped her keep up with the group.

In the dark it was easier. Elsa thought she was free to show weakness there, believing no one could see. So she allowed herself silent tears of both pain and fear of what lay ahead. For all of her confidence before, there was still the underlying fear of the unknown that clawed its way through her mind with its sharp black talons.

When they got close to the city and the light improved Elsa wished it hadn't. The scene was like something out of horror movie. Bodies, both living and dead, lined their path. The stench was putrid. The screams of the dying were horrifying. Elsa had to grind her teeth to keep from screaming and bolting. There was no use in running. She'd be dead before she took more than a step.

And the worst horror of them all, a snake woman who looked like a demon from hell, spoke to them. Elsa did not know Spanish and was glad of it, because she likely did not want to hear what the demon was saying.

---

---

Noah exhaled and held his hands close to his mouth.

A faint, white mist escaped from his lungs to warm them. It was nippy down there, but not as bad as some Chicago winters. He pulled his coat tighter about himself. The longer he remained here, the weirder things become and homesickness washed over him. Chill hung in the air, worsened by time, threatening to pour into his very bones and freeze him in place. It felt like late fall now despite only a month passing.

‘How much longer did they had to travel?’

The question pounded deeper into his head with each slow, trudging step onward. Noah’s sleep deprivation had gotten worse. Now him to seem more like the walking dead than living now. Bags puffed under his eyes, his feet were lead and sleep bullied his focus. Being a construction worker, Noah worked long hours and late into the night sometimes. This was ridiculous even by that standard.

Nothing in his job could've prepared him for the forced marches' brutality.

When night came, his thoughts wandered to Ethan and his father. Guilt settled in his heart over their future, one without him, taunted him. Thankfully his frustrations only affected his ability to sleep rather than his mood.

His half-closed eyes drifted to the others around him. Not everyone was equally fit for the temperature drop. Those from warmer climates or lacking in proper protection struggled to stay warm.

He inhaled and closed his eyes, shielding his conscious. At least from pushing him into doing something stupid.

As they advanced upon the mountain, his vision glanced upward to the darkish skies above him. A wind blew ferociously and loud across the gloomy landscape. Compared to the earth that threatened to swallow them up, it was far more welcoming. A heart-stopping thought whispered a dreadful question into the back of his mind.

‘What if I never see it again?’

The terrible thought shivered through his system.

The lacking of sunlight blinded Noah for several moments. His eyes strained to adjust and managed barely.

Several individuals impulsively flipped open their devices to better illuminate the tunnel. The realization then swept over them that they were no longer in the world they knew. Any commodities they held had to last. Phones and various devices immediately snapped shut to conserve battery power.

Time passed in dead silence.

A defeat, fed by exhaustion and hunger, drove them deeper into the mountain. A dim, purplish light guided them through the seemingly endless path. To avoid infection and new wounds on his feet, Noah had the sense to slip his shoes beforehand.

Everything about this new setting pushed Noah’s nerves into new paranoia levels. Adrenaline in his veins, the burly construction worker migrated alongside the others. All drawn by some sense of need he couldn’t understand.

When they came to the bizarre sight of the Naga, both bound to the gate and playing her harp, Noah’s eyes widened. His bravery had started to reach his limit by now. If it wasn’t for the fact he knew he wouldn’t get very far, the man would’ve tried to bolt long before now.

Now he stood, hiding his climbing emotions, there listening. The woman’s language seemed to fit the pace and oddity of one other of their group. Forcing his voice to remain steady, his peripheral vision caught someone pausing nearby.

“Did you understand what she just said?” His hand gestured to the Naga’s rapid words.

He wasn’t sure if the woman could understand them or not, but he certainly couldn’t.

Erin walked silently along with the rest of the group as they all entered the caves, sticking close to Carrie at the back of the crowd. The cave was dark, but that was about it for any ‘this is even worse than before’ kind of observation she could make. As far as she knew, the change in scenery was a good thing- hopefully it meant they were making progress towards their final destination.

As the group got to a certain point though, everything stopped. Erin wound her way through the mass of people, until finally she could see what was happening. A woman, hanging from the ceiling, had stopped them at a gate. As she listened, Erin’s face lit up. This one knew Spanish! She paused as she watched the interaction between the Fae, and came up with what she would say when she got a chance to speak to this woman. She was about to start moving through the crowd again, until a man’s voice caught her attention.

”Sss.. Yes. I understood her.” Erin hissed accidentally as she had to stop herself from saying “sí” to the man. English was “yes”, she had to remember that. ”She said: Kiron will be very interested… Many thanks my good Yin. Good night, and welcome to ‘Under the mountain’ humans.” She paused to think for a moment about the proper words before continuing. ”She then asked the Generals for a payment, to enter the city.”

”... No conozco a Kiron, probablemente es su nombre. Yo sé Yin es el Zorro.” A few seconds passed before she realized the lapse in her speaking. ”Sorry. Fox. Yin is a Fox. The woman may be Kiron. Names.”

“English is hard for everybody, even me.” Noah replied his eyes stared forward, unable to pry his eyes from the scene.

A deep, dark sensation spread through his chest to poison any positive notion he had left. Instinctively his hand raised to his neck back as he fought the vomit in his throat back. This was bad… This was bad. Over and over, the thought ran in circles in his head.

“I don’t like this… what does she mean by payment?”

”Well..” Erin trailed off as she tried to think of any answer that might make sense. ”Money, hopefully. Normally that would be… normal.” Erin shook her head at herself before falling silent.

Noah blinked then turned to Erin. A moment passed before he formulated something reasonable and easy to understand. This girl’s lack of English skills become apparent in her communication, but she had improved. Last time, he heard her screaming in Spanish. Now it was broken English.

“We can hope, but I sort of doubt it. Nothing about this place has been normal so far and I suspect it might just get worse.”

The woman seemed very confused after Vae spoke making her feel uneasy. Had she done this shitty process out of order? Was the older woman confused about what she said? In a way the teenager knew she had spoken english so why did she look so confused? Perhaps it was the strange words that come the native american’s native tongue? She was calm right? A hand slowly crept towards the young woman’s chin, the top of her hand leaning against her mouth, thumb underneath the chin as if it was hiding, and thoughts churning into unwanted memories.

” Did I do this introduction out of order? Should I attempt to restructure my sentence? No, because if I do she might think I’m a complete moron. So what if I try something different? She doesn’t look like on of those loser at my school. The woman speaking a different language is a bit too much for now.” She thought to herself as her eyes scanned the area. There was another young man helping those around him though in a way he looked in a foul mood. What if there was someone else? The artist seemed to be in another plain existence. Perhaps if teenager tried a another approach maybe a different outcome would appear? Her mouth opened once again before one of other people scoffed.

“Why don’t you allow the woman to be kid? After all you don’t want to be talking to someone like her.”

” Nekoti (one) Ihkwe·wa (female) is able to scare you big strong Neniwa (man) like you? I would have thought you would have bigger equipment than her. Hence being scared isn’t in you nature.. After all you only have to worry about the anemôha (dog) right now. The wâkoshêha (fox) seems to have gone into mahwêwa (wolf) mode. Now to address that hatred. You’re only pissed off due to being stuck here against your will, unable to taste freedom, yet there is still hope. Let me tell you a secret. If the isn’t allowing the wâkoshêha (fox) isn’t allowing that spitfire go he surely won’t allow you to leave. So get that useless invasion of escape out of that thick head of yours before I knock it out of you.” The young woman said in a venomous tone.

The guy’s hand rose and struck her right cheek hard. It was obvious that the guy wasn’t used to hitting someone though she did end up biting her lip. A cheap shot for someone willing to make a big deal out of nothing. The girl’s eyes lifted upwards from the ground as she watched him wince, as if the woman had harmed him. Luckily the oldest woman hadn’t seen anything. Then again the two was rather lagging in keeping up.

” Next time you hit me sir, make sure my body has hit the ground, because next time I’ll make sure you know what it’s like eating dirt.” She remarked wiping the blood from the place. Her figure moved like a river in order to face the correct way. If there words after her movements Vae didn’t hear it nor did she act like something happened around the partitional friend. In all honesty this was a normal occurrence in her life. Go figure something like this would happen here.

"It is pointless to praise my skills if you have never heard them," To be honest this had caught the girl off guard. Even though the tone sounded rather rude and the young woman did ask for it. What really caught her off guard was the comment. "My name is Elsa. I do play the piano. Not that I am likely to find one in a place like this." After this the woman stumbled and cried out.

It wasn’t really purposely but more instinctual. A hand shooting outwards in order to help steady her though Elsa seemed to have caught herself just in time. Strange. Normally her hand would have been smacked away. Strange indeed.

---

A few more tries in conversation proved to have been a success. The teenager was receiving more than just a few sentences and she was learning so much. Whenever Elsa would seem to lose balance while walk there the girl was, a hand placed outwards in order to help her. Perhaps it was mainly because their situation was similar that she was able to do this. Who truly knew but in a way it felt easier to speak. Like a fraction of a massive weight had been removed. Yet the bigger part was still was lingering. The protective instincts were still there obviously which still felt odd though a satisfying high lingered. Not adding that the man who had hit her was still way behind with a lingering struggle to keep up with the group.

The scene was disturbing in description. Granted that the lighting reminded her of a blacklight in NCIS. Abby Sciuto would have a hell of a time here just attempting to figure out how this natural lighting existed without that contraption. That again the goth would find the skeletons more interesting...maybe. To be honest she was quite behind on seasons, just to the point where where Katerina by Ari. Hopefully if Gibbs does it correctly the bastard would be dead soon. Key word being soon.

Only when an unfamiliar creature appeared from the opened area, much like in ghost stories Vae was caught off guard completely. Half snake/ half woman combined hybrid. ” Alright that’s just disturbing. This is one nightmare I don’t remember. So if we can’t get back into the will we be forced to turn back? So many unknown variables.”

” This is going to take forever now.” She whispered to herself while standing away from Elsa just in case something bad happened.

---

Yin found the chase to be incredible amounts of fun. Herding his quarry this way and that like a frightened deer that was going exactly the way he wanted it to. After all, while he could drag out this chase he could not drag out too much. The human was far too fragile for that sort of thing and would get him into trouble if it died. He knew they were getting close to the road and with any luck they would be getting close to the group.

Yin did pride himself upon mental manipulation, so he continued this throughout the entirety of the chase. Occasionally rustling branches or giving low chuckles that encouraged her to go the way he meant her too. After all, what kind of kitsune would he be if he could not herd a simple human to where he wanted it. He had picked up on her often running to the right and used that to his advantage, making sure that the path he herded her toward would led her correctly.

Once the road was visible to Yin he knew it was time to cut the chase off. With that, he picked up speed and tucked somewhat before grabbing Bodil and tossing her over his shoulder. The chase concluded, now was the business of catching up to the rest. A large gait got him to the group and continued steps got him to the front where he simply grinned at the hound as he waled with the human tossed over his shoulder. A firm arm holding her in place for the rest of the journey.

As the trip continued Yin's grip upon his catch never loosened. In fact he seemed to almost ignore her while he walked throughout the groups watching each human. He spotted something interesting at one point. One of the meant slapping the branded female. That would simply not do. Not only did his lord hate such a thing Yin always found such a thing to equate to a weakness. A rather annoying one. Hitting a female was....wrong.

This did mean that once up front again, Yin was able to greet the snake woman with a smile and nine tails waving in a fan like motion. Then his head tilted. "Of course I have a treat for you" Swift movements with Bodil still in his grasp he made his way to the man that had slapped Vae and dragged him forward before tossing him to the snake woman. "That one seems to enjoy hitting females. I do think you would enjoy...playing with it" Yin knew he could explain to falk and that there would be an understanding. Who would want a servant that tended to hit the other servants. That simply would not do.

---

---

After the man finished speaking once more, Erin waited to see what would happen next. It seems their short conversation was over, and just in time too. The fox responded to the Woman, and began to walk back through the group of humans, grabbing one man as he did and beginning to drag him up to the gate. Erin watched as the man kicked and screamed at Yin, trying to claw his way away from the Fae. As if the woman the fox still held wasn't enough proof of the futility of that.

Erin began to walk forward again, slowly making her way to the front of the group. She wanted to see what was going to happen to the man, though the quiet voices in her mind had told her already. It wasn't going to be good. She hesitated for a moment, and then moved to the side of the cavern so she was standing as far from the scene as possible, while still being in the front few rows. As soon as she found her spot though, the voices began screaming at her to go back to the relative safety of the back of the group. The woman, previously hanging from the ceiling, had begun to drop to the floor now, revealing her serpentine features as the crowd drew in a collective gasp.

Huh, that's interesting.

The gate creaked open, and the man somehow broke from the fox's grasp and began to run as the Naga asked about the woman being a tribute as well. Erin shook her head as the man pushed past her, his blind panic causing him to crash through the crowd in his attempt to escape. As the rest of the group moved to go through the gate, she would stay behind, approaching the serpentine woman as soon as she got the chance.

"Señorita naga, sirena, ¿Hada? ¿Puedo hablar contigo por favor?"

Once again the wâkoshęha and anemôha were up front making entering the gates that much easier. Than again most humans probably never actually made it this far considering they would be in unfamiliar landscape with fae all around them. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike them down without mercy. This was the reality within this world was it not? Her eyes shifted toward the right, noting the glaring stare of the earlier neniwi, making the woman scoff. It wasn’t the first time someone was angered about her words and in all honesty the young woman would have kept her mouth shut if it hadn’t been for these strange instincts. Instincts which hadn’t been used since the youngest sibling’s birth.

The only thing that caught her completely off guard was what the wâkoshęha said. The movement were rather enchanting to watch. One human in one arm and the other holding the bastard of a neniwi. The native american couldn't help but follow the creature glide across the floor so perfectly back towards the siti (snake). For a split second Vae that the kitsune actually cared only to have reality hit hard. Much harder than was needed. Her blink stare slowly grew colder and her lips parted in order to speak in a mutter.

” I’m very honored that you semi care what happened but that wasn’t the answer. You didn't have to use the neniwi as food for the siti iIhkwêwa. Your methods are completely uncalled for and much more barbaric. If you must play the wâkoshęha than at least kill the person without needing someone else to do your fucking dirty work. After all the wâkoshęha back home had no one to fear. Than again you’re only human aren’t you.”

Yes, speaking now wasn’t the correct path to follow so whatever happened was completely was truly her own fault. Especially after what just happened in front of her. Yet they needed to know that this single action was normal for the girl. This was apart of her daily life so without some short of physical pain she felt like there was an actual escape. Something that never truly existed in the first place considering the idea of a peaceful life was nothing more than an illusion. One to tease every desperate soul that outreached their hand towards the offer just to have it completely torn away completely. The girl sighed as she watched someone run away from inside the gates. Or did they ran out of the gate? To be honest it was being rather difficult to deal with everything that this single moment had thrown in front of all of them.

The road was clearly used while being entirely empty all at the same time. One side seemed to open into a different area than where they were being lead to. To be in all honesty she was glad they didn’t seem to be following this road. On the down side one of the people seemed to be be attempting to speak with the siti iIhkwêwa. Something that might not be the greatest thing ever. Once inside the other fae was greeted with what sounded like mocking sneers. Was this their greeting in this world? Or was it something of disapproval? Something that was supposed to be meant as disappointment or sarcasm. Her eyes glanced toward the two leaders, noting that neither of them seemed physically affected by the sounds, than again Vae was towards the back of the group. So they could have been showing some short of emotion and she couldn’t actually see it well. Who know with these creatures?

What sounded like a pained scream entered the stilled air. A sound which the girl knew fairly well making her flinch. It wasn’t a woman’s voice though the fast paced event left her clueless on what exactly to do. One second the girl with the fox was in their group and next she wasn’t. The young woman was standing there while being clung to by the bloodied male. A said thing to result to but from the looks of it this young woman would more likely become a meal. The native american knew she needed to do something. Something very stupid or at least speak up. With all the sweetness that was once lost. Here goes nothing.

” Correct me if I’m wrong but I do believe the one you serve has a special interest in this this practical iIhkwêwa. From the way this place sounds like you are unable to own any of us without our master’s and mistress’s permission. I mean with all do respect towards you wondrous and charming people but are we nothing more than mere mortals. Ones to make your lives carefree? Isn’t this why we’re not all here? After all this is your paradise, not ours. Than again I’m nothing but a stupid young woman. Though from what I seen this magnificently beautiful wâkoshęha is the greatest by far.” This was supposed to be a ploy. Make them agree with each other in order to get the young woman away from them. Back into the group where she belonged and perhaps allow the one with anger issues to escape without any problem or get it to where she was set down so they could talk. Maybe make plans in order to allow those who wanted to escape later one a chance. Even if it meant certain death.

---

---

Noah’s eyes noted the foxlike creature trot proudly up. In his one arm, an exhausted woman beat her fists and wiggled fruitlessly over his shoulder. Her pride showed clearly in her refusal to give in. It was admirable but a waste of energy. At least, that was what Noah thought.

Silently he continued to study the exchange ahead of them. The fox-like creature easily snagged the abusive man and dragged him toward the Naga for an offering.

Noah’s insides twisted into knots. It seemed his assumptions were correct. Money wasn’t the toll, but a human life was.

As expected, the offered man panicked then darted back the way they came. His clumsy movements echoed in the cavern system even after he vanished from sight. A spark of pity entered Noah’s heart then faded. No one, terrible or not, deserved being hunted like some wild animal.

Noah watched the serpentine woman chuckle and her off-handed comment. Her glance, hungry and predatory, traced the man’s path before it shifted. This time to the fiery woman upon the fox’s shoulder. Her greed showed when she asked about a second offering.

Noah’s hand clenched tightly at the scene. He bites back the urge to follow the panicked scumbag back to the known entrance. A life for a life… the words surfaced in his simmering mind.

Distracted by the interaction between the fox-like creature and the Naga, he failed to notice Erin had left. The younger woman moved through the crowd toward the only fae that could understand her: the Naga.

When they began to march into the city, his eyes caught the unsettled sight of the residents within. A few individuals were elegant and alluring. Their appearance marred by a cruel aura that was almost haunting their gaze. Others seemed to be the opposite. Their vicious nature showed upon the surface and for all to judge. If Noah hadn’t known better, he would’ve believed his feet carried him through hell itself.

When Noah’s eyes scanned the group for the woman’s location, his ears caught a scream. His dreadlocks snapped behind him as he twisted in place to see a bloodied, and an injured man burst into the street. He rushed into the crowd until he found and clanged to Melinda.

On the outside, somehow, Noah kept his composure. He seemed unfazed by the display on the outside. Inside was completely different matter. Anger, fear, and need for action stirred in his soul. Each one churned and boiled into the surface as he moved.

His vision tunneled for a moment due to sheer focus on separating the pair.

Noah’s left hand reached out and roughly seized the man’s wrist. His fingers wrapped around the wrist in a move he had seen multiple times in movies. Then he applied painful pressure. With any luck, it would loosen the strength. The other hand began to peel the fingers off a few at a time. When man’s grasp seemed to loosen, he would give a sharp tug and the arm would push Melinda back into Vae’s direction.

‘So much for staying unnoticed…’ Noah lamented within his head afterwards.

---

Yin gave a small smile as large ears followed the now running man. Part of him tensing as if he was going to give chase, but instead he shook his head in response to the question. "This squirmy one is sadly not an offering. While it may have a habit of running...it still is not mine to give" He almost looked apologetic before he entered into the city still holding Bodil over his shoulder as if he knew this human would run off and be annoying about it.

Yin seemed generally unaffected by what could be considered a terrifying beauty of sights. He walked with a sure grace even with the human. He merely nodded at those that sneered toward the guards. As if they were not even remotely scary to him...which to him...they were not. If anything it was like seeing kindred spirits. A sudden scream resulted in his large ears swiveling to the human as his eyes rolled. Then he got a touch more serious. "Sady while I would love nothing more then to assist your game....that one and those of this group remaining are for my lord. Even this rather troublesome one" His head nodding to the side to mean Bodil. "you know how much i do enjoy games...especially with the more meek ones" A wolfish grin spread across his face before dissipating. "Let me get yours off of mine" He lightly finally put bodil down and gave her a look. One that conveyed very clearly that if she ran he wouldn't just be picking her up this time.

With his normal grace he moved to the man holding onto Melinda and then found himself tilting his head as a male human stepped forward and did exactly what he would have done. He gave a small shrug before moving and grabbing the man that had been moved and pushing him back to the fae that owned him. Once done there he finally moved to Vae, a rather different look on his features.

"You were talking earlier....I believe I should respond to some of that" Hands clasped behind his back as he leaned forward. "I do not care even an ounce about what you think, that human did a fairly bad thing and thus he made for a rather good offering. For you personally....you could die and I won't even blink an eye as long as I am not personally affected....do you understand that human? Never compare me to your kind again, as I am not like you and never will I be...prey" The word prey was emphasized as it was drawn out clearly he did not like this human that much anymore, the fascination had been lost as soon as she had spoken earlier. He then straightened. "Do not try to make up for previous words by giving false compliments either human. For you are mortal and that makes you perfect for many a thing" With that he turned all nine tails waving as he walked and then stopped next to Bodil. "I would not recommend running here human. For I am very much willing to give chase once more....but also you would not get far." His gaze fell on her, tails swaying before he spoke once more. "Now will you walk or shall I continue to carry you human?"

---

---

Yusuke had been silent throughout the entirety of events unfurling before him. It was too dim to draw, but he was memorizing every detail he could finding each sight more horrifically fascinating then the next. Before he followed the group inside the city he heard someone speaking to the naga. He lightly bumped her before nodding to the naga. "My apologies my lady but we must stay with the group else some individuals may get upset with us. I would enjoy drawing you some day though for your beauty is something I have never experienced before" The low soothing voice was sincere, he did find the naga to be gorgeous. He then gave a bow before lightly grabbing Erin's hand and dragging her with him to join the group.

Once part of the group he let go and clasped his hands in front of him, finding that he really wanted to draw these scenes but could not as of yet. He was staring upward when he heard the scream and then watched the commotions. How his hands itched to place these images upon paper. The frustration that grew! He ran a hand through his hair before going back to quietly watching. He could at least remember these things and put them to paper later. That he could at least do.

A commotion started when some bloodied, obviously abused and terrified man ran at them. He was hysterical but was given back to the fae who owned him, the fae citing a "game" as the reason for the man's terror.

A flashback came at Elsa, sharp and clear despite her years of trying to bury it deep within her.

"Its a special game Ellie, just for you and me."
"I d-don't like this game Mr. Mason. Can we play something else?"
"Not Mr. Mason. Daddy. I'm your daddy Ellie. Call me Daddy."
"I don't want to! Leave me alone!"
"Call me Daddy. I'm your Daddy. And little girls should listen to their daddies. Right Ellie?"
"Go away! You're not my Daddy!"
"Little girls who don't listen get punished Ellie."

Although her face showed no emotion, her eyes told everything. Tears filled her eyes as she relived it all. She felt it all over again. The pain, the humiliation, the confusion, the terror...
Elsa stared coldly at the man. This was not going to be her. She was never going back to that place again.

The big and strong dominated the weak. It was a lesson she had learned many times in life. So she would have to become big and strong. No matter what it took.

"You really are a cold bitch aren't you?" The voice of the woman who had been trying to get a rise out of her the whole trip.
Elsa looked at her. "I am a survivor."
"I hope they tear you apart," the woman snarled.
"Instead of plotting my downfall to give yourself a better chance focus on making yourself valuable to them," Elsa replied indifferently.
"Oh I will be," she said, "I know how to please a man. I will have the ruler of this place eating out of my hand."
"Or eating your hand," Elsa retorted.

As the Japanese man came up to her and took her hand, Erin began to be dragged away from the snake woman. She didn't fight the man's grasp, per say, but she did pull against him just enough that he would know she wasn't going with him willingly. As they passed through the gate, she began to speak to him- in spaninsh at first due to her frustration with him breaking up her conversation with the Naga. "¡Oyé, espera! Tengo que hablar con ella. Ella entiende español."

Of course, after a few seconds of this, she realized English would probably do better. "No, no. Leave me. Stop. I want to go back." They caught up with the group, just in time to see the paniced man run up to the group- and the Fae that followed. Erin didn't care. This man seemed crazed, and while maybe she should've at least paid attention to the fact that he was wounded and seemed to be asking for help, she could only think about her own questions. As soon as el Japones let her go, she stepped away from him, her pace slowing down greatly until she stopped walking altogether.

She only hesitated a moment before turning right back around to head back to the gate. "... Tengo que déjar." She muttered to one person who looked at her curiously as she passed. She wasn't about to just give up this chance.

Several Fae watched as Erin left the group generally unnoticed thankfully due to the commotion. Some looked gleeful at this fact while others sneered at the dysfunctional human. Not that they knew exactly how right they were about the Spanish Mortal. The route back to the lamia was fairly straightforward, and few saw reason to stop a wandering human. Several of the dark cloud-esque beings above followed in their misty forms. These were mara, prefering their forms of mist and shadow. For it was easier to feed off the dreams of sleepers and dispair. But they were loath to impede this mortal, for her destination might lead them to a larger prize, or her remains with little fight. Erin, however would not see them for only a keen eye would see the black against the cavern ceiling.

Reaching the now closed gates, the guardian of it was coiled about the base, stroking a very still form. Erin would be able to make out a face frozen in terror, wanting to scream and not ever being able to. The Fae- Desdemona- however was carressing his hair and hissing quietly in a song merely of nonsense, something to soothe and hypnotize her prey. A odd flickering beneath her hair as she glanced up and noticed another morsel coming her way.

As Erin got back to the gate, she bowed her head slightly to the Naga, ignoring the man as well as she could. He wasn't her concern. Her voice was quiet but still strong as she spoke. "Perdóneme. Volví." She didn't waste any time before continuing, lest someone pull her away again. "Ayúdame a entender, por favor. Señorita Naga, aunque hemos estado aquí por un mes, todavía no sé realmente qué se espera de nosotros. Parece que estamos prisioneros de algún tipo, pero con qué propósito? Mi Inglés no es lo suficientemente bueno para preguntar a las hadas que nos lideran, y los humanos que he preguntado no saben también." She went silent as she waited for the Fae's responce, the look on her face a strange mix of determination and desperation. She had to know. A month in this realm with little-to-no explanation of anything at all was starting to chip away at what little patience the girl had in the first place.

The lamia considered the Mortal before her. Barely more than a child to her sense of this more modern day and age. Yet back in her time this girl would be a woman- of a sense. Able to wed and spit out babies. Nothing she had been interested in during her span as a mortal life. So what were they prisoners for? They were here for their temporary life, so the girl was so very correct. A shame she didn't know it. Their lives as of now were to free up other Fae. To allow magic to flow rather than to be damned up with the menial tasks it had been during the Dark Times. A time still whispered about between the elders of the Fae. Giving the girl a snake's smile, she spoke in her native tongue. "¿Por que estas aqui? Esa es una pregunta con muchas respuestas, pequeño humano. ¿Déjame mostrarte? Será muy ... educativo." Oh this was far too tempting. That this little human girl had returned without protection or thought that she would need it! A worthwhile little amusement, she thought as she lowered her serpentine body to the stone flagons below. Trying to look less intiminating.

"Bueno. Adelante, señorita." Erin smiled back at the Naga as she seemed to answer. Yes, she seemed to be skirting the actual question for now, but she at least hadn't waved her off or told her just to go away. I'll be getting my answers finally...

Turning about, the snake lead the woman through the tunnels once more. However this time descending into the abyssal maze that dwelled below the grand houses and roads. Here the smell of rot and death ruled and terror salted the air heavily. Vacant eyed humans and Fae walked these halls just as often as the nightmareish forms of the horrors that awaited. These tunnels were paved and walled with dark stone that glittered. Reflecting the faux fire torch light that danced over the stones and dark, gleaming puddles. Deeper in the pits of horror and bowels of Under the Mountain screams echoed out along with laughter and roars. Pleas came from the other corridors. Cries for death, freedom, and for sheer clemency. The lamia ignored them all as she moved deeper, soothingly pointing out to her companion all was well and this was simply a faster way to get around. Which was true in both senses- so far.

Erin didn't hesitate to follow- though as the pair started getting deeper underground she realized that maybe she should have. The cries of people echoing off of the dark cavern walls were harsh, and apparently just what it took for Erin to come to her senses. This woman was a monster, and so was every non-human here, just like the Fox and Hound that led the group... and Erin had just walked right up to her. Her pace quickened as she kept following the creature, not wanting to fall behind while also ignoring the snake's words as she tried to brush off the noise around them. None of this was normal. This was Danger.

Still though, she did want to know why she and the others were here. What was that English phrase? "Curiosity killed the cat." Erin shook her head slightly and, trying not to flinch at a rather close sounding scream, decided to try and distract herself in the meantime by asking the Naga more questions until they got to wherever they were going. "Señorita, eh... ¿cómo se llama?" She paused for a split second before continuing, another cry piercing the air in her moment of silence. "Me siento extraño solo por conocerte como "Naga" en mi mente." Another call for help, and this time Erin flinched at the sound. "Yo soy ... Erin. Si querío saber."