Outrider Lei and the Writhing Mass

Far out in the eastern wildlands stood a lonesome tower, clad in countless years worth of moss, lichen and all manner of climbing flora. But despite having been abandoned for years, there was an almost mystical aura of immutability to the structure. An aura that was made all the more striking by the evening sun which bathed the white marble pillar in a golden-rose light. An ethereal, almost dream-like sight out here where every other trace of man-kind had been erased.

Far less ethereal was the figure who sat atop a small horse just a stone's throw away from the tower. Clad in simple traveling attire with tools and gear hanging from its shoulders, it looked quite out of place in the picturesque scene. But there was a reason for its presence. The figure eyed the structure and its surroundings closely. Slowly and carefully it rode around the tower trying to spot any potential dangers or other interlopers. Human or otherwise. Finally, seemingly satisfied, it dismounted and tied the horse to a tree before pulling down its big hood to reveal the face of a young woman.

Lei was far from how you'd imagine an Outrider. Renowned for their resourcefulness and abilities, the highly skilled explorers were some of the very few brave enough to venture out into the far wilds. The fact that they were just as skilled at burglary and theft was mentioned more seldom, however. With her petite frame she looked very out of place out here in the wild, despite her heavy gear. Her shoulder-length reddish hair fell in soft curls around her round face strewn with freckles, giving the impression of a girl that seemed like it belonged on a farm or in a cozy tavern, rather than at the edges of the civilized world. But here she was, and she had a job to do.

As she started walking towards the tower she gazed upon the pillar of marble before her that almost seemed to burn in the ember light of dusk. It was a bit of a marvel that such a thing had not been found earlier, though with all the trouble that she had to go through to find this strange tower perhaps the true marvel was that anyone had found it at all.

She had been tipped off by an acquaintance. Employer? Friend for pay? Whatever Rag was. They were one of those people whose attitude towards you was wholly dependent on whatever way the balance of gold was shifting at any given moment. In any case, Rag had tipped her off to a find someone had made. Some random outlander had stumbled upon the place - gods only knew how. After a whole lot of digging, Rag had found out it had been the domain of some long gone disgraced Wizard, apparently exiled from Robeka. A mighty feat in and of itself.

There was no telling what kind of things might be hidden away inside. Of course, anyone with half a brain would stay far away from anything like a Wizard's tower -- but then again, not just anyone had a Black Spark. Lei opened one of her satchels and carefully brought out a dodecahedronal object, a strange device wrought from black glass and silver, with ornate carvings all over the surface. A little anti-magic trinket she had been gifted by a very grateful Artificer back in Bahtûn. Exactly how this thing worked was beyond her understanding, but she knew well how to use it to not get fried by whatever crazy traps might have been left inside.

As soon as she held it up she could see a faint glow along the carved designs. There was most certainly magic around, but that was hardly a surprise. She clasped the object with both hands, gazing through the glass as she scanned the tower. Here and there were vague bright spots, but the entire structure pulsated with a faint turquoise light. She'd need to tread carefully from now on. Slowly, she approached the tower, watching the surroundings meticulously. There was no room for mistakes - out here there would be no help coming if she messed up. As she got closer to the arched entrance what looked like an ordinary wood and metal door to the naked eye sparked and sputtered with magical energy when viewed through the device. It too was overgrown, covered in all manner of flora and growth, just like the facade around it. Yet for all that the door itself looked more or less pristine. For a moment Lei hesitated, pondering whether this device would inadvertently dispel some enchantment that held the whole damn tower up. But she had come too far to turn back empty-handed.

She fished out the second part of the device from her satchel, a three-legged little silver contraption with a violet gem suspended in the center. It almost resembled some outlandish insect, stretching its sharp forelegs towards the sky. With great care she placed it on the steps just in front of the door, then she retreated a few meters backward and with the device in her hands she took aim. Through the dark glass the little insect-like device glowed a sinister purple. At first it appeared as merely a wisp of color, but as she lined up the patterns to center in on the little device the color grew quickly in intensity. Within a few seconds the light was pulsating wildly, sparking and throbbing with menacing intent. And then, with a sharp crackle that made her hair stand on end, the device let out a small but potent explosion of anti-magic energy. The door was once again merely a door, showing not even a hint of light through the dark glass.

With the swiftness of certainty she got to work with her tools. It was a simple enough lock, that she probably could have picked with some time, but instead she busted it right open. It surrendered with a metallic shriek of pain, and then, the door swung open. Before her a short and narrow corridor opened up, shrouded in shadows. The white marble walls were ornately decorated with small tapestries and oil lamps hanging on chains. A few meters ahead, thick blue draperies concealed what lay further inside. Clutching the dark device in her hand the Outrider entered the darkness of the tower.

Through the device she could see faint spots of light in the rooms ahead, but nothing immediately beyond the draperies. Parting the fabric, she glanced inside. Only the faintest light slipped inside through the overgrowth covering the small windows, revealing what looked like a combined vestibule and workshop. The circular room seemed to have been constructed to serve as a greeting room, but was strewn with shelves, tables, and all manner of tools, papers and arcane oddities. What was even odder, however, was the faint sound of trickling water coming from somewhere inside. Strange, but hardly a concern. Once she was reasonably sure there were no immediate traps ahead, she stepped inside, ever watchful.

It quickly became apparent to her that this was a veritable goldmine -- even though she had barely a clue what all these papers meant or what the purpose of the numerous strange things strewn about was, it was clear that at least some of it would be very valuable indeed to... someone, presumably. She grabbed a small bottle from her satchel and took a deep swig of water as she contemplated the endeavor ahead. Then, as she placed the bottle on the table, her eyes were drawn to some sort of display case in the center of the table -- a raised metal tray, covered by a glass dome. What it contained did not really seem worthy of display however, resembling little more than a piece of long-dried fruit, shriveled and grey. She wondered what it might have once been, but soon her attention was drawn elsewhere.

Sparksteel in hand, she started lighting oil lamps to chase away the encroaching darkness, bathing the room in a drowsy warm glow. Along one of the walls she now spotted the source of the trickling sound -- a large stone basin of water that seemed to be perpetually re-filling. Though she tried to reach down she could not touch the bottom, only vast emptiness. She shivered slightly at the thought of how deep it might delve. With fresh water available, it almost might have been worth it to spend the night in the tower -- were it not for the fact that there was no telling what lurked above. Or below. No, she'd rather return to the small camp she had set up in the forest close to a small stream. She was hardly unused to sleeping under the stars, after all.

While looking around she found a concealed set of stairs leading upwards, circling along the outer edge of the wall before ending at another door upstairs. But before she headed upwards she wanted to have a closer look at all the potential treasures on the shelves. Though try as she might, she couldn't make neither heads nor tails of it all. While she had learned to identify a lot of valuable things through the years there was no easy guidebook when it came to Wizards' toys. Still, many of them looked like they'd be easy enough to carry back so that someone more savvy could discern their value.

Suddenly, the crash of glass shattered the silence, almost making her jump out of her skin. Somehow the display tray on the table had tipped over, taking her water bottle with it to the floor. She stared at the mess in disbelief, unable to understand how it could have fallen on its own. Then, her disbelief morphed to shock. She saw how the grey lump throbbed to life as it absorbed the water spilled on the floor. Its pale ashen surface became almost blueish in tone, slowly swelling as it hydrated itself. For a few moments she completely forgot to be cautious, just watching the little thing reviving. But then, with alarming agility, it slithered across the floor and up into the basin of water, quickly disappearing into the darkness below. All of a sudden Lei felt a fair bit more unsure of herself. Whatever that thing was she probably shouldn't have let it just run off. But as she watched the ripples on the surface of the dark pool she realized there was little she could do now. She'd just have to watch her back going forward.

Glancing outside, she saw that the light was quickly fading and night would soon fall. Weighing her options, she decided she would check out what lay one floor above and then return to her camp for the night, leaving the rest of the tower for tomorrow. Thus, with the dark device once more at the ready, she made her way upstairs. Once more she had to disable whatever magic had been placed on the door before coming upon a rather impressive library, rife with tomes and scrolls that looked more than a little valuable.

She realized that this job would pose quite a different kind of challenge -- it wasn't so much about finding something worth bringing back, but how to figure out exactly what would be most valuable. Any of these books could be worth a fortune, but how would she figure out which to carry back? Weighing her options once more, she realized she'd have to note down each and every one of them and check in with Rag. It would mean a lot of traveling, but this could set her up for big things indeed. Thus, with what little light she had left, she noted down a fair few of the books that seemed to be especially secretive or rare, being preciously short on writing material. It didn't take long before the meager light from the old oil lamp was insufficient however, and she decided it was high time to get back to her little camp. For a moment she glanced upwards, considering the possibility that there might be a soft bed somewhere up there. But it wasn't worth the risk, no matter how soft the bed.

She sighed, then yelled: "See you tomorrow!" and smiled to herself, feeling rather good about things so far.

But then she heard something crash to the floor somewhere below. Instantly, she was on high alert once more. With barely a sound she drew her curved short sword from its hilt on her back. Chances were it was just some unsettled debris falling over or some wild animal that wandered in. But she could also have been followed. One never knew who might have caught wind of this place, not to mention all the stories of the brutish things that wandered these wildlands. Years of experience had taught her to always assume the worst, and that is what she prepared herself for as she slowly ventured down the stairs.

Not even the whisper of the wind could be heard from downstairs now. Only her careful footsteps broke the tense silence as she descended, sword at the ready. She halted at the doorway, listening intently for any sound, but the only thing she could hear was the faint trickle of water. She peeked around the corner, but could see nothing but the dim light from the oil lamps casting fluttering shadows on the wall. Thus, with a bit more confidence she proceeded downstairs, still with her sword raised but now fairly certain she was still alone.

Nothing but an empty room greeted her downstairs, just as she had left it. Eyes narrowing, she looked for what might have caused the commotion. It wasn't until she had walked well into the room that she spotted a large iron candelabra that had been knocked over. Her mind reeled. This thing could not have fallen on its own. But what could have knocked it over? It was too heavy for a wayward animal to knock over, too out of the way for some intruder to accidentally bump into. That's when she noticed it was covered in some thick, slimy substance. For a moment, she just stared at it, dumbfounded. Then, there was a splash in the water behind her.

She spun around, quick as lightning. But for all her years of experience, the sight of a long, thick snake-like thing aimed at her face was not one she was prepared for. The thing reached out of the basin from somewhere deep down in the water -- a semi-translucent turquoise tentacle, thicker than a man's fist at the base, knots and lumps covering it as it tapered towards the end, dripping with thick slime. For but a brief, shocked moment, she dropped her guard. That was her first and last mistake.

In the blink of an eye something wrapped around her ankle with formidable strength and she let out a horrified yelp as it pulled her to the floor. She fell hard, her hand slamming against the table, which knocked the sword out of her hand and sent it clattering uselessly across the floor. The fall dazed her, but within moments she was kicking frantically, trying to get free from the tentacle's oppressive grip. That's when she noticed several more appendages snaking from the basin, all taking aim at her. With immediate alarm she rolled over on her stomach, desperately clawing at the floor trying to get to her sword and cut herself free. But within moments another tentacle had wrapped around her other ankle, dragging her backwards.

"L-let me go!" she shrieked, fully knowing this thing could not be reasoned with, but she was now in full survival mode. If she couldn't get loose quick, this thing would end her for sure. She reached for her hidden dagger, but just as her hand closed around it she felt a thick, slimy appendage wrap tightly around her arm, restraining her roughly. Grunting from the pang of pain, she struggled with all her strength. Was this the end? Was there no way out? That's when she felt one of the slippery tentacles thrust in under her tunic, hot and slimy, snaking its way up her body. She shrieked in desperation, wriggling and tearing, but to no avail. Then, she froze as it started coiling around her neck, tightening as if it threatened to choke her.

Now, with only one hand free, she though she was done for, expecting it to suffocate her within seconds. But despite the threat, she continued to struggle, whimpering and mewling as she tried to break free, but the creature had her wrapped up too tightly. Suddenly, several of the tentacles started prodding and wriggling, forcing their way into her trousers, the string keeping them tied snapping under the strain. She yelped as the slimy tendrils brushed against her lower body, trying to pull them away with her hand, before finally having her last bit of freedom restrained.

"N-no-" she whimpered, her strength quickly fading, unable to fight off the invaders anymore.

Her mind reeled as the thick appendages roughly pulled down her trousers along with her breeches, leaving her plump, firm little ass exposed. What was the thing doing? Suddenly, one of the tentacles brushed between her ass cheeks, making her shriek again, causing the creature to tighten its squeeze around her throat. Before long, several other tentacles were lapping at her bottom, prodding and licking along her thighs, over her ass, and to her horror, over her tight, trembling pussy. She pleaded and whimpered for it to stop, but there was no reasoning with the thing.

Yet another tendril snaked in under her tunic, and with a savage pull it ripped the garment off her, leaving only tatters of cloth, her modest breasts now dangling free in the cool air. Almost entirely naked now, Lei realized that this might not end swiftly. She gritted her teeth as the slimy tentacles prodded more and more insistingly against her holes, no matter how much she squeezed to resist. Yet more of them wrapped tightly around her, licking and stroking as almost her entire lower body was held in a firm grip.

"H-help!!" she cried out, knowing full well that there was no help to be had, but finally losing her cool, not wanting any part of whatever the creature had its foul mind on. It kept pushing harder and harder, demanding she let its thick tentacles inside, but she resisted with every ounce of strength she had left. But then another appendage appeared, dripping and pulsating, snaking around her face and pointing menacingly at her.

"G-get away from me!" she growled, shutting her lips just in time as the tentacle tried to force its way into her mouth. Shaking her head, she resisted it for as long as she could. But then, the creature squeezed around her throat, making her gasp for air -- finally allowing the creature to plunge between her lips.

Immediately, the slick tentacle forced its way deep into her mouth and down her throat. The pure shock made her lose control and mere seconds later, fat, throbbing tendrils forced themselves into her tight holes. Lei let out a defeated moan as her pussy surrendered willingly to the slimy invader while another slipped deep into her virgin asshole -- a place she hadn't let any human explore. They spread her wide, making her tremble with unwanted pleasure, but by now she had no resistance left to offer. The thick appendages started fucking her rhythmically, plunging deep inside her with rough thrusts. Every move they made forced unwilling moans and mewls out of her, not just because of the savage treatment, but because the slime was somehow starting to make her insides feel tingly and warm. She could feel the creature enveloping her lower body, tentacles and ooze almost cocooning her as it violated her tight holes.

And before long, the tentacle in her mouth was fucking her as well, thrusting in and out with ease, making her throat bulge with every deep plunge. The slime was warm and thick, tasting almost sickly sweet across her tongue. She tried not to swallow, but the rough treatment of all three holes at once was making her lose the very last semblance of control. No matter how unwanted it was, the fat tentacle between her legs was making her pussy hum with pleasure, and the odd sensation of getting ass-fucked was making it all so much more intense. But she didn't want to give in, she needed to hold on and escape.

Suddenly, the tentacle in her mouth started throbbing, and she saw something being pumped through the appendage. But before she could react a thick, milky liquid was being forced into her mouth and down her throat. The intruder swelled and pulsated inside her as it spurted the thick milk into her, and she could do nothing but swallow, despite trembling in fear at the thought of what it might be. It was hot, and tasted oddly sweet just like the slime. She could feel its warmth settle in her stomach, a glowing ember that soon spread its heat throughout her body. A tingling sensation rippled through her, a strange, almost numbing feeling that made her mind bleary and unfocused. The mixture of two tentacles fucking her little holes, along with a third one force-feeding her its milk was quickly starting to overwhelm her, eyes rolling back into her head as she struggled to take it all, slowly succumbing to the forced pleasure.

Her tight holes were spread completely open, but the thick slime let the fat invaders fuck her unhindered. And as they worked her body, her pussy was getting more and more wet, making their entry even easier. She kept swallowing more and more, now almost suckling on the tentacle, taking every drop it had. Finally, the pumping stopped and the invader withdrew, leaving her panting and gasping, finally able to breathe again. Thick milk dripped from her mouth down her chin and she felt almost drunk now, intoxicated by whatever it had forced into her. She couldn't stop the moans and sighs anymore, her body trembling and shivering as the creature worked her holes.

Then, without warning, the bottom tentacles spewed thick, hot fluid into her, making her cry out, shuddering like a little leaf as she nearly orgasmed from the intense sensation of being filled. She could feel it spurt deep inside and spill out of her, shivering as she felt her pussy strain to take it all. Within moments, she felt her body start to react, suddenly feeling like it was almost melting. Pretty soon she could barely discern any specific part of her lower body, only a blurry mass of sensations, a cloud of warmth and pleasure. It was too much, too intense. Her mind was getting more foggy by the second, any resistance completely gone, replaced by some unnamed, dark urge, just taking whatever the creature made her take.

The thick tentacles continued their assault, delving almost impossibly deep into her petite body. Lei could barely tell if she was climaxing or not, everything was all too overwhelming. Caught in this creature's tight grip, fucked and fed, a drooling, mewling mess. Suddenly, she felt the thick appendage in her pussy burrow deeper and deeper, a sensation that felt like it shouldn't -- couldn't - be possible. She felt so stretched, but her body glowed and throbbed with pleasure, her pussy veritably drooling from the rough treatment. Then, it felt like the tentacle swelled inside her, burrowing yet deeper and and coming to rest. A tremble of fear came over her, not knowing what was happening.

Then, horrified, she could feel something thick being forced into her. She groaned as the invading thing pushed deeper and deeper inside, spreading her straining pussy on its way in. She shivered as it pressed against that sensitive spot inside her, causing a cascade of pleasure, but her terror grew as she felt it plunging ever deeper. And finally, the thick thing came to rest just below her stomach. With horror, she realized -- it was filling her womb! With renewed strength she fought to get free, but the creature's grip was far too strong. And then -- another one was forced into her, and she cried out as she felt the tentacle pump its heavy egg deeper and deeper, until it too was plunged into her womb. She could feel pressure now, a growing heaviness in her gut. It was so disgusting, so wrong. What the fuck would happen now?

She felt another egg coming, pushing its way deep inside, violating her. Crying out in impotence, Lei could do nothing as she felt the third egg come to rest deep inside her. Little by little she swelled. Her mind felt like it was misfiring. Breaking down. The sensation of getting filled... She didn't realize how empty she felt. Another egg spread her wide on its way in, and she gasped, almost climaxing. She didn't want this. She didn't. Getting filled with eggs... pumped full. Filled. It came to rest in her womb with the others. Without thinking she readied her cunt for the next one. And when it arrived, she moaned as she felt it spread her once more. The feeling of it making its way inside was... almost intoxicating now. Knowing it was being implanted deep inside her. And by the time it reached her womb, she was lost.

"M-more..." she whimpered, "I want.... more..."

Her wish was soon granted as another egg was pumped into her, and this time she came with a deep shiver, trembling like a leaf as she savored the feeling of the egg being pushed all the way inside. She was getting heavier and heavier, the pressure inside her growing.

"P-please... More... I need more..."

Another one, and her climax continued. By now, she was addicted to the feeling. She never wanted it to end, wanted to be utterly filled, to take every egg this creature had to give. Never had she realized how deeply she wanted her womb filled, how much she needed the sensation of eggs getting pumped into her for safekeeping. The climax just wouldn't stop, it only increased each time another egg was forced inside her. Her grip on reality was slipping, drooling and weeping... her whole body held in a tight grip by the tentacles while the creature deposited its eggs deep in her quivering body. Finally, when she knew nothing but orgasmic bliss and the heaviness inside her, it let her go. Slowly, the tentacles withdrew from her holes and uncoiled from her body, leaving her in a sticky mess on the floor as the creature retreated back into the dark waters.

She had no idea how long she laid there, barely cognizant of the world around her. Writhing on the floor, she whimpered and gasped as she tried to regain her senses, tried to come down from that impossible, delirious high. But she creature's fluids were far more potent than any drug she had ever tried and it was impossible to push away the pleasure that washed over her like tidal waves. For what felt like an eternity she just laid there, stroking and touching herself, high on the sensation of being so full, her body throbbing as the eggs shifted inside her. Her battered pussy ached for more, still oozing from the creature's fluids. Over and over she came, completely brainwashed by the bliss and whatever that creature had pumped her full of. A willing slave to the things that filled her womb and made her stomach bulge.

Yet, somewhere deep down, her survival instinct still fought. And as the blissful delirium faded, that instinct clawed itself out of the depths of her mind. She realized that she couldn't stay here. She had to get back to her camp, had to get back to food and water. With her last ounce of desperate strength and whatever willpower she had left, she got up off the floor, unused to how heavy her body was now. Dressing as best she could -- her clothes tattered and sticky -- Lei staggered outside again. She couldn't help moaning from the whirl of sensations, her cunt sparking with pleasure every time she moved, and her stomach straining. With a massive effort she got out to her horse, barely able to straddle it.

By some miracle, her loyal steed managed to find the way to the camp, even while Lei was barely able to hold on to consciousness. Delirium threatened to overtake her, to drown her in a dream of bliss. But she knew she'd die if she couldn't get back -- either from exposure, wild animals, or thirst. So when she saw the tent by the stream, she nearly wept with relief. She stumbled off her steed, crumbling to the ground. Still whimpering and groaning, she crawled, dragging her heavy body to the tent, where she quickly relieved herself of clothing, drinking deep from a flask of water.

Before long, she succumbed once more to the orgasmic delirium. And this time she remained lost. Slipping in and out of consciousness, she lost track of day and night. In one moment there was darkness, and then suddenly the sun shone outside. Her entire world became that dream-like, feverish high, her body burning with desire and pleasure. There was little left of Lei the Outrider then, the only thing that remained was a swollen, pregnant woman, an incubator for some unknown creature's eggs. She felt them moving and throbbing even in her feverish dream, a sensation that filled her with both horror and love. One moment she wanted nothing more than to be rid of them, and then the next she wanted to be like that forever. It nearly tore her mind to shreds as untold hours passed and she lost the ability to tell what was real and what was not.

So it was no wonder then, that when cloaked figures in strange metal masks arrived she didn't put up much of a fight.

Suddenly, there was no tent or forest. Instead, there was a stone cell with a pool of dark water and a metal collar chained to the ceiling around her neck. But by now, she was barely present in this world, only able to crawl to drink water, before going back to laying down, caressing her bulging abdomen. Days passed. Weeks? Months? Years? She had no idea. Then, the dream shifted violently. There was movement. Massive pleasure mixed with pain. She woke from the darkness to find herself bound, her arms tied upwards and legs spread wide by the pool of water. She barely even noticed the dark figures around her, completely transfixed on the growing pressure in her womb. Moaning and gasping, she tried to make sense of it all -- though some part of her knew beyond doubt what was about to happen. Her abdomen was cramping and trembling, her sensitive little cunt oozing thick fluid all over the floor. A sudden fear grasped her heart, and she struggled in her restraints, lost and confused. But there was no escape. It was happening, right here, right now.

She cried out both from pain and pleasure as her body convulsed, releasing the first egg from her womb. It felt impossibly big as it made its way out, and she howled as it spread her aching cunt wide, muscles cramping as she strained to push the egg all the way out. And then, she shuddered in a violent climax, orgasming hard from the strange sensation and squirting all over the floor as the first egg fell to the floor with a wet flop.

Lei watched in disbelief as the thing started slithering towards the dark water, for the first time seeing what had been forced into her. A thousand thoughts wanted to surface, but the next egg was already on the way. Again she moaned and strained, trembling in her restraints as she struggled to get the thick egg out. She felt too tight, too small for this, fearing she wouldn't be able to birth it. But once again, with a massive effort, her trembling cunt pushed it out, once more climaxing all over the floor, leaking more and more slimy fluid. Lei was already spent, sweating and shaking from the exertion. But there would be no respite.. The next one was coming.

With every egg, the process became more taxing, more intense. She moaned and cried and swore, tearing at her restraints as her body fought to push out the heavy eggs, each time cumming violently, a quivering wreck of a woman, reduced to but a birthing body. One after another she pushed them out, every muscle in her body aching, trapped in a never-ending orgasm as they popped out of her tight cunt onto the floor. Another. Another. Another. Thick and heavy, barely able to get through her slit. It felt never-ending.

But then, finally, she was empty. Dripping. Leaking. Sobbing. Darkness fell.

* * * * *

Lei awoke with a jolt. Once more, she was in her tent, precisely where she had set up camp. Soft sunlight filtered through the trees, suggesting a barely risen sun. For a moment she hesitated. Had it been but a dream? But almost immediately, the consequences of the ordeal made themselves known -- deep aches resounded through her body and bruises covered her skin. That had been no dream. With great effort she rose, groaning with pain as she rummaged through her things. Suddenly, she came upon a handwritten note.

The Gathering thanks you for your service. The Gathering has returned your belongings along with some coins for your contribution. The Gathering advises you to remain silent concerning these events. Your horse has been cared for by the Gathering.

Please leave, and do not return. Unless you feel like contributing once more.

Lei stared at the note in disbelief. What in the world had she stumbled into? As she looked through her things, she did indeed find a coin purse with a formidable weight. A hundred questions darted through her mind. What would she tell Rag? Who were those figures? Where did they take her? So many whats and whys. But she was exhausted beyond belief. She collapsed on her bedding, note in hand. It would probably be wise to do as it said and never return.

But some part of her felt... terribly hollow.