Amal's head hurt, and he wondered if he had been struck there. He had been knocked unconscious before, but never for so long. Then he wondered why he believed it had been a long time? Perhaps the growling of his stomach, or the aching of his bones. Perhaps it was just his sixth sense as a thief. He tried to shake his head, his thick mane of tousled hair brushing the length of his face as he tried to rouse himself. Or it would have, if he could move.
He smelled the fetid stench of others nearby. He hoped that was not just himself, because there was apparently a lady present. Her form seemed almost cloaked, ephemeral, like a silhouette. His eyes tried to focus, but the light slid off of her like oil, the shadows caressing her finer features to keep them obscured to his sight.
He tried to move, to let his hand casually slide next to the dagger on his belt, to lean on the wall, to balance on the balls of his feet, but he was rigid. He did not know how he was stuck in place, but he was. It irked him, and he wondered if he even still had the knife at his belt any longer, or his scimitar. He knew some women were controlling, but this was new. Then he heard a voice in his head, telling him to be still, to have patience. Great, a telepath now? Or some ghost or aberration, maybe. He had dealt with wizards and those with psionic gifts before to not be completely startled, but it was still somewhat off-putting.
He tried to give a sardonic reply, but he could not move his lips as well. So the cutthroat complied with reluctance. No sense struggling, he realized. Despite the fact he was standing upright, he could almost relax. Better to be rested when the time came for him to move, because then he would see what was what, and see if he should kill this woman or not. He never liked killing women, but he was not prejudiced. If it needed to be done, he would do it. Though he wished it would at least lead to some gold.
Then his mind drifted to other matters, recalling his final fight against the honorguard of the sultan. Had they bludgeoned him and dragged him to some strange slaves auction? The thief wondered if his was dead, and this was the underworld. Maybe the figure in front of him was granting him his judgement in life, and keeping him here as punishment.
If this was the underworld, it was pretty damned boring.
He smelled the fetid stench of others nearby. He hoped that was not just himself, because there was apparently a lady present. Her form seemed almost cloaked, ephemeral, like a silhouette. His eyes tried to focus, but the light slid off of her like oil, the shadows caressing her finer features to keep them obscured to his sight.
He tried to move, to let his hand casually slide next to the dagger on his belt, to lean on the wall, to balance on the balls of his feet, but he was rigid. He did not know how he was stuck in place, but he was. It irked him, and he wondered if he even still had the knife at his belt any longer, or his scimitar. He knew some women were controlling, but this was new. Then he heard a voice in his head, telling him to be still, to have patience. Great, a telepath now? Or some ghost or aberration, maybe. He had dealt with wizards and those with psionic gifts before to not be completely startled, but it was still somewhat off-putting.
He tried to give a sardonic reply, but he could not move his lips as well. So the cutthroat complied with reluctance. No sense struggling, he realized. Despite the fact he was standing upright, he could almost relax. Better to be rested when the time came for him to move, because then he would see what was what, and see if he should kill this woman or not. He never liked killing women, but he was not prejudiced. If it needed to be done, he would do it. Though he wished it would at least lead to some gold.
Then his mind drifted to other matters, recalling his final fight against the honorguard of the sultan. Had they bludgeoned him and dragged him to some strange slaves auction? The thief wondered if his was dead, and this was the underworld. Maybe the figure in front of him was granting him his judgement in life, and keeping him here as punishment.
If this was the underworld, it was pretty damned boring.