Kisibhi

"Dark… Moons…" Kisibhi panted, shoving her fist into another small hole in the cliff's face and dragging herself up another few feet. She'd hit a gnarled tree growing out of the cliffside and gotten stuck, after carefully freeing herself from the sharp bark and branches, Kisibhi had started carefully climbing back up. Her arms and legs shook from the exertion, one clawed hand grabbing the lip of the cliff, Kisibhi took a deep breath and launched herself up, throwing both arms over the cliff, claws digging into the soil. The loose earth crumbled, and she started sliding over the edge.

"No!" she gasped, hands shot out from nowhere and grabbed her wrists, yanking her up and throwing her on the ground. Kisibhi was struggling for breath and strength as she looked up at a tall, dunmer woman.

"If you're with... the cultists... This one will not go without a fight!" Kisibhi snapped breathlessly, limbs so heavy it was difficult to move. She glanced over at Black and Red, they were licking their wounds but had been freed from the bear traps.

The dunmer only laughed mockingly, "Me? With that trash? Please! For your information, I'm actually hunting them myself."

"...Bright moons, so is Kisibhi," Kisibhi laughed a little, forcing herself into a sitting position, "They took this one's kittens," She accepted a few bottles from the dunmer a bit hesitantly, casting poison detection spells on them before drinking the potions. She felt strength and energy begin flooding her system and replenishing her magicka stores.

"Alright, if you're done we should hurry. According to my sources, they're planning to have a feast tonight. And guess who's likely the main course?" she asked sarcastically. Kisibhi laughed bitterly as she got to her feet and kicked her staff into her hand, quickly healing Black and Red before leaping onto Black's back.

"How rude they did not invite us, let's go," Kisibhi replied hooking her staff on Keith's bayard and shoving in her satchel before Black and Red tore off back the way they'd come, following the internal mark point of their Paladin's.

Shiro

It was happening again, and it was taking everything Shiro had not to have a panic attack. He was a slave again, someone else's property. And if he didn't think of something, they were going to get eaten.

Shiro took a few deep breaths, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. They were approaching a walled-off encampment; it was crudely made but stable, the doors were pushed roughly open, revealing a camp with many fires burning. Shiro thanked whatever deity existed that their helmets kept them from smelling whatever was cooking. They were being led towards what reminded him of an old mine.

His eyes fell on a heavyset woman they were passing and gagged. She was gnawing on a human leg. Keith heard him and looked back. Shiro watched him choke and look away quickly; snickers drifted through the group.

They were roughly led into the old mine; it was cold and damp. Shiro tried not to look at the filthy remains of previous meals; bones cracked open to drain the marrow. Keith was shoved into a cell, Shiro followed, and they slammed the door, locking it.

"Freshen up for dinner, yeah?" The leader laughed, the other cannibals following him towards the sounds of a feast being prepared.

A retching sound caught his attention, he turned. Keith face shield had lifted, and he was emptying his stomach onto the cell floor, coughing. Before he could stop it, bile leaped up his throat, Shiro turned quickly, his helmet also opening up, bracing himself with an arm on the wall, he puked his guts up.

"Shiro, what are we gonna do?" Keith asked after a few minutes, his voice shaking. Shiro wiped his mouth with a trembling hand and turned to the Red Paladin. Keith looked as terrified as he felt.

"Watch the door, I'll see if my arm can burn through the ropes," Shiro whispered, sitting with his back against the door, with Keith taking up a position next to him. Shiro turned his attention to his bindings, his arm whirring to life and heating up immediately. For a moment, he thought the rope was catching, until he realized soft gold runes were glowing. And it wasn't catching.

"Shiro, what's taking so long?" Keith asked tensely, eyes glued on the hall.

"I… I think the uh… the ropes are fire proof," Shiro admitted, feeling sickened.

"What?" Keith stared at him, white-faced. Shiro took another deep breath before continuing.

"C'mere… See if we can untie the knots," Shiro suggested gently. Keith stumbled over and practically sat in Shiro's lap. He fumbled with the tightly knotted ropes on Keith's wrists, but Keith's fingers were shaking so bad he wasn't having any luck.

"Keith, you have to calm down. Panicking isn't going to help," Shiro told him softly, "Patience yields focus," Keith took a few deep breaths, nodding.

Loud footsteps echoed up the hall towards them. Shiro swore vehemently, throwing his arms around Keith and pulled him close. Keith gripped his armor, burying his face in Shiro's chest.

"Who's there?" Shiro demanded, his fear mixing with anger. Keith was never scared; he got angry. Seeing him scared made Shiro want to lay waste to the entire mine.

A chorus of laughter was the reply.

"Alright, love birds. Come, the Ring Bearer is waiting," the door swung open, and hands roughly pulled them apart and out of the cell. Keith swore so colorfully Shiro blinked a bit and smirked. The cultists dragged them down the tunnel into a grand cavern, filled with stone tables and fires waiting to cook on. On a dais at the back of the room was a woman, and behind her was an enormous alter featuring a grotesque bug.

"My my, what a catch!" The woman laughed, they were forced up towards the dais, and she skipped down a few of the steps and peered into Shiro's face. "Oh my, don't you just look delicious," she breathed, her teeth were a dentist's worst nightmare, not to mention her breath.

"Let us go," Shiro growled, she laughed. It was shrill and scratchy and made him want to puke again.

"You didn't derobe them yet?" She snapped at her followers; they flinched a bit, "We haven't got all night."

Before he or Keith could protest, they were stripped of their armor down to their underclothes. Shiro gritted his teeth, having faced the same humiliation before. Keith was shaking, shoulders hunched. He was giving the woman a venomous glare.

"Carefully, bruised meat has a bitter flavor," she stated smoothly, her eyes sliding up and down their bodies. "so lean, and tender looking… Come, big boy," she started up the dais, Shiro was wrestled up next to her, and the alter. He swallowed, glancing at Keith who was trying to throw the cultists off of him.

"Lay down, rest before dinner," the Ringbearer purred almost invitingly. Shiro shook his head, jaw clenched. Her eyes narrowed frostily at him. She threw a flash of green light at him, Shiro flinched, eyes closed. "Lay down, rest. You're so tired," she purred, his head was floating. The urge to lay down was almost unbearably strong; he felt calm. Safe.

'No. No. That was wrong. This is wrong.' He thought, shaking his head violently and the feeling left. His dread and fear were crashing back down.

"NO! I won't!" He yelled, stumbling backward. She looked furious.

"BIND HIM!" she screamed, Shiro couldn't overpower four of them at once and was tied, spread eagle, onto the altar. The stone was cold on his skin; his heart was pounding so hard he wondered if she could hear it. The Ringbearer stood over him and unsheathed a knife.

Keith's knife.

"NO! SHIRO!" Keith screamed desperately.

o~o

AN: And here's the next chapter for this story!

I noticed that no one left reviews for our last couple of chapters. I hope that doesn't mean that you're bored with this story... well even if you are, we're continuing it anyway!

I know it seems that most of these chapters are fairly short right now, but I promise, they are going to start picking up in length soon. A lot of stuff is going to happen!

So, if youy enjoyed with chapter, send a review or PM please! Thank you!