Between two cities [Great]

[Dawnika Snow]

The guard who returned Malon to her place strapped Malon back into her chains. Once finished, he turned his attention to the sleeping brunette next to her. She watched as the girl was abruptly awoke with a kick to her side, coughing as her consciousness came back to the mortal world.

“Come on, girl. Time to clean.” Sera chose not to argue with him and stood, waiting for her ankle weight to be dropped. As she waited, she glanced at Malon, who seemed to be in low spirits. She knew that look. Malon had tried so hard to help, only to see that no matter how hard you try, nothing will change in here. They would be stuck forever to rot away in this bandit coven.

Sera was led out behind the unnamed bandit, who was explaining her daily chore, as per usual.

“Normally, you’d clean the kitchen first.” He said, pushing Sera along in front of him. Her sluggish speed annoyed him. “But Scar left a huge dump in the bathroom that is stinking up the whole place.”

Sera disgusted face only grew worse as she picture what was left for her. She went and did her job, quickly as possible. Best if something were left unsaid.

After she cleaned the unmentionable, Sera was led to the kitchen, which had just been used. The bandit sat and watched her, eating his lunch as he did so. The young girl's mind was on food, she hadn't eaten hardly anything in the week she'd been here. Her stomach needed just a little more of anything. Her eye caught a tempting bit of bread on one of the counters. If she stole food, someone else would be punished...but hungry men make for desperate men. When the bandit focused on his food for a second, she took the lump of bread, and bent down behind a counter feigning she’d dropped her broom. With the extra clothing she wore, sticking said bread down her cleavage was enough to shadow it from the bandit until her work was done and she was back in the prisoner’s room.

After the kitchen was cleaned up, she was taken to the bandit’s living quarters, where she would clean up their rooms. She had an hour to do so, usually left alone to do so since there was only one way in and out like the servants room. She was in the middle of making a bed when a familiar voice washed across her ears.

“Hey, Sera.” Carmelita was cloaked behind her. The sudden sound of her authoritative voice scared the young woman, causing her to ‘yip’ loudly. “Shhhh! You can't be loud like that.” Too late. Shuffling footsteps prowled down the hallway to check on the girl, Carmelita took refuge close to a wall where likely no one would walk near.

“What the hell is going on in here?” The bandit from earlier called out to Sera, who was trying to catch her breath. “Well, girl? Why are you screaming nonsense?”

“I, uh..” she tried to think of a witty response. “Uh...A rat! Huge! Like huge, huge! It was three times the size of a normal rat, it was!” Carmelita smirked in silence from her hiding spot, quick on her feet, she was.

“Did you see where it went?” The bandits tone signified that he cared less about the well being of Sera and more about the fact that Scar would probably kill him if he didn't at least try to care. Although they were still like cattle among complacent wolves, Scar seemed to treat the cattle with some respect as long as the cattle knew their place.

“No, I was so scared I covered my eyes.” Sera responded.

“You chicks are so dumb, blinding yourself from what you fear. That's a sure-fire way to let it eat you. Now focus on cleaning the room.” With that he left, leaving Sera alone with the invisible cop-fox.