Surprise! Update! Woo! Thank you for sticking around and thanks for those awesome reviews!

So like I said, I needed some way to throw Alicia into M.E., and this is what I came up with. I honestly had fun with this chapter. I hope you have fun reading it and of course I'd love to hear your feedback (^_^)

Odd sounds of creaking wood woke her up like a very foreign alarm clock. Bleary eyes slowly split open, blurry at first until wood came into a more clear sight. That stupid headache was still there. It made her grimace at the old pain and wanting nothing more than to fall asleep and not wake up again till it was gone. But that wasn't an option anymore. She just laid there, not rushing her thoughts on anything as she stared at the wood until her mind was fully awake and aware. Now the wood was more detailed, cut and nailed to look more like the boards of a wall. Somewhere on the left side of the wall, a lit lantern hung, gently swaying back and forth on it's chain. The room seemed empty of any nightmare creatures thankfully. Slowly she pushed herself up to get better bearings on her situation. Everything had returned to her easily enough. She was in a plain old room with two windows on one of the walls where dawn shown through. The air had a pungunt smell of lantern oil, saltwater, feces, and smelly animals.
Where on earth was she?
Alicia looked around the room for something she could use to free her hands. On shaky legs she stood up, eyes trying to adjust to the dark dank and horribly reeking wooden room. A rocking to and fro had her frowning at the dirty floor in confusion. Why was it moving so?
Lifting her eyes to the small circular windows, all she could see was sky, but the sound of the sea waves or picked up quickly. She was on a ship.
The swaying of said ship made it even harder for her to steady her legs. The woman glanced irritably at them, and thats when she noticed just how messed up her clothes were too. Torn at the edges, caked with dried mud, salt and sand, Alicia shifted around, did her best to pat herself down as horrible thought of what might have happened made her get a little panicked. Thankfully logic set back in. Her captors did not do the worst they could have done, but rather just searched her for more weapons and whatever she had that might be of value to them. Luckily she was on a camping trip, there wasn't that much valueables on her to begin with.
Around her were more cages and chains. A few more people who looked like they had been there a while. Actual people this time, humans. Some cast lazy gazes at her, or ignored her completely.
Alicia scanned every face she could see, none of them recognizable to her. These were not people from her homeland.
"Where are we?" she dared to ask quietly. Her voice as rough and dry.
No one answered.
She sighed. At least she did not see her friends amongst them. they could just be in another room, or they were never captured at all. Relief and worry were both in her head, along with more questions about her current situation. Alicia shook her head, worrying and panicking was not going to help if she wanted out of here. The islander forced herself to close her eyes and breath slowly to try and calm herself. Suddenly there was the sound of jangling metal and a loud lock. Around her the people gasped. Her eyes flew open to the source of the sound which was the door. The old door swung open and one of those ugly creatures cam in. Acting before thinking, she sank to the ground again, feigning unconciousness.
The monster grinned as he stepped in. " Slaves.." he gargled. "Bread and water for you fleshy wretches." He pulled behind him a crate on wheels filled with loaves of bread. it reached down and tossed them carelessly around the room. The people dove for them. tearing them from each others grasp in order to get more. The orc was enjoying it, as he only threw a few loaves at a time so he could watch them scramble. Alicia did not grab for any bread though. One, it was dangerous with people in this mind set, and two, she wanted to grab for something else.
After that, the orc walked out and came back with a large basin. In the middle of the room was another one that he made his way to and poured water in it. He did this twice. Once the creature left, the people dove for the water. They dipped their faces and hands in it to get a drink. The orc watched in dark glee at the people acting like desperate cretins. His beady black eyes scanned the room. They came to rest on two people that had not moved, her and another woman.
The captor walked up to the first woman. He sat with her back against the wall, knees brought up and staring at nothing. "What's wrong human? Not hungry? Not thirsty?"
"I've already had my fill orc." Shee replied in a deadbeat tone.
Orcs! that's right! These things, they were real orcs! In her store the slender woman had only ever read about them in scary kids' tales and mythical fiction books or legends.
Why did such creatures have to exist? Like humans didn't know how to be evil enough...
The orc sneered. He suddenly kicked her over. " You not but skin and bone. I should feed you to the wargs now and be done with it."
The woman glowered back up at the orc. " You'll be losing business if you did that. Feeding all your slaves to the wargs leaves no money from your trade. Bad business."
The orc snorted irritably and stormed off. He pounded past others, kicking at whoever did not move out of the way in time. Finally his eyes came to rest on Alicia's stilll form. The orc stalked up to her and gave her a hard kick at the side. She gasped and reeled in the pain. " Wake up she human." It snarled above her. SHe hissed in pain, slowly pushing herself up. Ugh, the sheer presence of this creature made her want to throw up more than anything else in that room. Nothing about this entire situation really felt right.
He grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. His breath made her hold her breath. "New slave." He said in her face, at this point Alicia was only half acting, the other half was real.
" I am your master now. You do as I bid." The orc gave a jagged toothed grin. " You obey, you get rewarded. You disobey you get punished." His black tongue lashed around his lips as he grinned evily. " Understand?"
She'd begun to gag. her hands shakily reached upwards.
"What was that human?" he snarled. He responded, squizing his grip more at her unintelligable mttering.
Alicia steeled herself for what may come, then drove her unclipped thumnbnails into the creature's eyes. The feeling made her quiver. The orc screamed out and pushed her back roughly. Her back collided with the wall.
Shut him up! Shut Him Up! SHUT HIM UP! Her mind screamed at her. Her body jolted into action,(albeit clumsily) ramming down the orc who flailed about. His hands found her as she scrambled to straddle him. The creature was able to grab her in a painful vice grip with one hand and fisted the other to wail on her. Alicia took a hard blow to her shoulder,hard enough to make her eyes sting with tears. It was hard enough to knock her off him. Painfully she tried again. More hands suddenly shot out to grab at the orc and hold him down, while another burly man came up and finished the job for her. Others stared at the still form of the orc.
"Great, now there'll be an even stronger one to replace him." One man grumped across the way. He looked at Alicia. " Look girl, if ye want to survive, then don't make 'em wanna hurt ye. Just play along."
"Play along? And be another cowed slave?" she scoffed. Her shouler throbbed with a dull pain.
The man, a kind of scrawny guy with long black hair that needed to be tied in a pony tail to be kept out of the way. " Yea' a slave. Just accept it now and it'll be easier down the road."
"Easier how?" She looked at him like he was crazy.
The man suddenly held up a small knife. " Easier to be less noticed o'course."
The burly man frowned. " Nevak, why don't you steal things more useful, like the keys perhaps?"
The man, Nevak huffed. " Because what happens after we get the keys Raoul? We get out, we run into more of the scum, and we die or get beated back to our chains. We need more than just the keys if we're gonna get outta here alive boyo."
" I thought you've given up on trying to escape." the grumpy woman from before talked. " The orcs are stupid folk that live chaotically, just give them some lie that appeals to them better."
"Some of us do not fancy having a sliver tongue Miss Sabrya." Raoul replied, searching the orc's body for the keys or anything useful.
"Always the gentleman." Sabrya lulled her head. Her light brown hair sticking to her face and neck. " You think any form of honor is going to gain you any favor here?" she asked rhetorically.
"All it did was save the little girl from any more harm."
Alicia raised a brow. "Little girl?"
"Oh I'm sory you're a big girl. you clearly have your big girl panties on don't you? Your chest wraps snug enough for you?" Sabrya continued.
Alicia Stared at her with a dead panned look then rolled her eyes. She didn't have time to worry about anyone's insults.
She shook her head and turned away.
Raoul held up the iron keys. " I've got them. let's get out of here quickly before the alarms go off." Raoul undid his chains, then Alicia's and moved to the next people, making quick work of freeing them. Alicia tip toed to the door, peeking out to search for any signs of more orc gaurds.
Soon everyone was free, but only the outher three really moved about.
The woman spotted the key in Raoul's hand still." Will that key also unlock the other cells where the other slaves stay?"
"Aye it does." Raoul replied, already knowing what she intended. He followed her to the door. " You keep a look out. I will free the others." he said.
Alicia did as told.
Sabrya came walking up casually, with a half bored expression on her face. " Don't know why you'd bother. The rest of these poor sods are broken and not likely to fight back should there be an uprising."
" At least now they will have the choice given back to them, as free people again." Alicia said resolutely.
Sabrya rolled her eyes. " Wonderful. Another do-gooder-noble-heart."
Alicia turned her half glare at her. "You have the same choice you know. You can go on by yourself if ya want to or wait for us, and make yourself more useful than being another wench."
" OH the little girl shouldn't say such foul lang-"
" shut up." Alicia growled before she finished.
Sabrya's thin brow quirked up. "You best get out of those bloomers before you expect me to take any orders from you seriously. Talking is my best skill hun."
"oi blokes?" Nevak said behind them. " Are we tryin' to escape or have a kitty brawl?" He slinked his way past the two women. The slight man looked both ways and started down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Sabrya asked.
" To the bar o'course." He called over his shoulder.
Sabyra huffed, back to her half bored expression.
Alicia blinked in thought as she watched down the opposite side. He wasn't really looking for drinks right nw was he? She couldn't tell yet. Finally Raoul emrged from the opposite side. " I just fond out we are still a two day's sail from Middle earth. Even if we escape now we will not get far."
Alicia's shoulders dropped. " Then we wait."
"Genious idea hun." Sabyr commented. Alicia ignored her and continued. " Nevak has the right idea at least. we have a chance to gather things that may help in our escape when we reach land again." Alicia started down the opposite hall.
"You must not go by yourself." Raoul whispered as he followed.
Sabyra shook her head and went the same way Nevak went.
Raoul glanced down at her. " Where are you going?"
"Searching for useful things. Maps, weapons, supplies, knowledge on the ship." Alicia whispred back.
"Sooner or later the orcs will notice all the slaves free. And whatever we have stolen." He replied, head ducking under an arched beam as his eyes watched every shadow like a hawk.
"Sabyra said orcs are creatures of chaos right? We could find some way to throw a bone and have them distracting each other, ruining whatever form of order they might have for a while. Something to make them forget about us more often than not." Alicia replied as they peered into one room that housed all the brad that was given to the slaves.
Raoul went silent, silent enough to make her turn and regard himin question. " What? It won't work?"
"Nay. It just might, and that is what is surprising to hear such a strategy from a youth." The big warrior commented.
The islander let out an exaspherated sigh. " Not that young folks." she grumbled. " And that's not that hard of a strategy to come up with."
"Pehaps not." Raoul hummed. " And how do you suppose we 'throw this bone'?"
"Still working on that." She replied. " Feel free to add any helpful suggestions." SHe said as they peeked into another room. This room had extra chains and crowbars, metal rods, whips, maces and whatever odd pain cuasing devices that she did not know the names to.
Alicia searched the place to look for things that she could easily hide on her person while Raoul stood watch. once done they switched places while he picked a few things.
"They will fight for any reason, logical or not." Raoul said. " One can be accused of stealing from another, you can throw something shiny and watch them all dive and kill each other for it. They'll keep at it until a leader comes in to break it up."
They kept on, searching rooms quietly. they found one where a few norcs were sleeping, and they quickly tip toed away from that room. Raoul held up his hand swiftly, stopping Alicia right in her tracks. She tensed up, hoping they wouldn't run into trouble. Peering around him she could see shadows moving.
The shadow dissapeared and he motined to follow quietly close behind. She did as signed and watched their back. The big man was surprisingly light on his feet. Sowly, he stalked forth, hand gripping his light mace that he raided from the room. Alicia gave plenty of space, not at all wanting to hinder his movements.
The man gripped his weapon in a tight grip, then after releasing a steady breath, he rushed forth and swung out towards the owner of the shadow. Alicia stared in surprise, not at all expecting that. She satred as she listened to wood getting pummeled, rush of wind and grunts. Then curses flying. "Agh! Raoul you blumbering boyo!-"
"Nevak! Sabrya! I thought you were orcs."
"You sayng I look like one of those filthy foul creatures. The nerve. I oughta' clout you in the head for that."
Alicia crept forth to see the three standing around, Nevak rubbing the side of his head.
"If it wasn't for his quick reflexes no doubt he'd be unconcsious right now. Of course he did bang his head onthe wall trying to dodge your attack." Sabrya went on with a hint of teasing.
Nevak, grumbled and rubbed his head trying to shake it off. he gave Raoul one last glare before picking up a burlap bag that looked stuffed.
"What's all that?" Alicia asked.
"Nessesities." Nevak answered casually, hefting it over his shoulder. Sabyra had one on hers as well.
Alicia grimaced in skepticism, wondering what exactly his idea of 'nessecities' was.
"If orcs are creatures of chaos, you think there might be a way to make them fight each other until we reach some land to escape? You have any, neccessities that may help with that?"
Nevak sniffed and scratched his bearded face. " Hmm, ya want to cuase chaos on a boat, our only source of staying alive?"
"Yes." Alicia answered with a snide smirk of her own.

CLIFFHANGER! Worry not, more shall come. Like I said I'm using the same OC Alicia and one of her main trademarks is 'cunning'. Also another reason why I had fun writing this chapter and the next to come. Thank you again for reading. Really happy to hear you like it so much thus far and I do hope not to disappoint. Cheers to a good week!